Stomach, lap and leg of a small boy 1520 - 1525

This is a drawing of a small boy's torso, lap and leg, by Hans Baldung. It is made with a sketching technique with pen on paper. Baldung was working in the early 16th century, a period marked by significant shifts in artistic representation and cultural attitudes towards the body. In this drawing, the artist’s choice to focus on the fragmented view of a child's body is interesting. Baldung depicts the boy, cropped at the torso, which creates a sense of intimacy, while also prompting questions about the context and identity of the figure. During the Renaissance, the naked body was an important subject of artistic study, symbolizing humanity's connection to nature. However, children were often represented as miniature adults, not as individuals with their own distinct experiences. Consider what the artist wanted to express about childhood, innocence, and vulnerability? This work reminds us of the evolving understanding of childhood and representation, and how the bodies we depict carry layers of meaning.