ABSTRACT
Although the underlining of the signs of masculinity could be considered as a constant and usual tool in depictions of boys, this observation has to be moderated according to the age of the model, which is why this exposé will follow the categorization of the ages of life most common since the seventh century.9 Moreover, a distinction will be drawn between masculinity and the virility of manhood. e former will relate to the set of speci c characteristics normally associated uniquely with men. Virility, if we refer to the works of Georges Vigarello, does not only represents the male but the man, in his most noble and complete part. ‘Virility would be virtue … with its qualities, clearly stated: sexual qualities, those of the ‘active’ husband, sexually powerful, procreator, but also well balanced, vigorous and reserved, brave but with the sense of proportions’.10
