Finished Academy Study of a Seated Male Figure 1700 - 1767

This is Giacomo Zoboli’s “Finished Academy Study of a Seated Male Figure,” a drawing rendered in black and white chalk on paper. Zoboli was active in Italy during the late Baroque period, a time when the academies played a central role in defining artistic standards and practices. Here, the male nude is presented as an object of study, his identity subsumed by the demands of academic exercise. The man's averted gaze denies us access to his thoughts or emotions. The male body is idealized, yet also objectified. The lack of personal context invites us to consider the power dynamics inherent in the act of looking, and in the construction of beauty. Consider how the artwork both reflects and perpetuates societal norms regarding gender and representation. It invites us to reflect on the gaze, power, and the complex interplay between artist, model, and viewer.