The Ancient Model – an Aesthetic Program and Method of Teaching During the 17th Century

During the 17th century there was a change in the style and the aesthetic principles as well as in the canon, the proportions and the type of the figures depicted. In fact, towards the end of the seventeenth century, studying the ancient models took priority over the study of nature. The “Ancient Model” became not only a teaching method in the art academies, but also an aesthetic base for shaping the style and the manners of work. This is something we can see in the illustrative parts of the anatomy for artist’s books of the era. The presence of images of emblematic ancient sculptures becomes almost obligatory