An Academy of Painters

1600–38

Not on view

Prints representing academy scenes became more common after the first official art academy was established in Florence in 1563. At the Rome venue depicted here, masters (with beards and hats) instruct young artists. The masters teach the principles of disegno, which entails both the ability to render a drawing and the intellectual capacity to conceive its design. One master displays a sheet of sketches to two students at left, while another gives a lesson on geometry in the center. In the background on the right, a group examines a cadaver to learn about anatomy. The paintings and pieces of sculpture that adorn the back wall served as additional aids for the students.

Artwork Details

Title: An Academy of Painters
Artist: Pierfrancesco Alberti (Italian, 1584–1638)
Date: 1600–38
Medium: Etching
Dimensions: Sheet: 16 1/4 x 20 9/16 in. (41.2 x 52.2 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Object Number: 49.95.12
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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