Seated Female Figure with Upraised Arms, Facing Right 1436 - 1470

This is a pen and brown ink drawing of a seated female figure with upraised arms, facing right, made by the Veronese School around the mid-15th century. The drawing depicts a woman seated on what appears to be a simple bench or stool, her arms raised in a gesture that could be interpreted as prayer, supplication, or perhaps even a theatrical performance. The figure's draped clothing is typical of the Renaissance period in Italy. The Veronese School, part of the artistic outpouring of the Italian Renaissance, was deeply influenced by classical antiquity and humanist philosophy. This environment encouraged artists to explore human emotion and experience within a Christian framework. Understanding this drawing fully involves considering the visual codes and cultural references of the time. What role did religious devotion play in daily life? How did theater and spectacle influence visual art? These are questions for art historians. By exploring the context in which it was made we come to understand the world from which this simple drawing emerged.