Dansende vrouw met bekkens 1640

Pietro da Cortona created this drawing of a dancing woman with cymbals using pen in brown and gray ink, brush in brown and gray, and gray wash. The image presents a female figure in motion, an aesthetic prized in the Baroque period of the 17th century in Italy. But let’s consider the image’s wider social context. During this time, the Catholic Church was a major patron of the arts, using art to reaffirm its power. The figure's ecstatic dance and the musical instrument she carries could have had religious associations, given the period's taste for drama and spectacle in religious art. We might also consider the role of institutions such as academies in shaping artistic styles at this time. Cortona himself ran a successful studio and was the president of the Academy of Saint Luke in Rome. Was this drawing a demonstration piece for his students? To understand this drawing better, we might consult historical texts on dance, music, and religious practices.