Three Male Figures 

Oronzo Vito Gasparo made this drawing, Three Male Figures, in 1940. It presents a tableau of male bodies, one standing and two seated, rendered in a style that owes a debt to classical sculpture. Made in Italy, this work raises interesting questions when considered in its historical moment. Masculine ideals were promoted by the Fascist regime of Benito Mussolini, who was then the country's dictator. Did Gasparo intend a commentary on the politics of the body? The figures in the image look contemplative, melancholic, or simply bored. Are they meant to embody heroic strength? Or is Gasparo offering a subtle critique of Fascist ideals, emphasizing the interior lives of his subjects rather than their physical prowess? Further research into Gasparo’s biography and the artistic culture of Italy at this time may shed light on the artist’s intentions. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.