Battle of Naked Men

Battle scenes were one way Italian princes put their stamp on public buildings during their reign. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Titian painted some memorable ones, which surely prompted Domenico Campagnola's Battle of Naked Men. One art historian called it a haunting scene of confusion and turmoil. The artist clearly sacrificed clarity for an overall sense of darkness punctuated by sinewy limbs.