Naked man with spear 1860

Mariano Fortuny Marsal created this drawing of a naked man with spear, a so-called 'academy study', in 19th Century Spain. The art academy held a central position in the 19th century art world and it prescribed the artistic standards of the time. The naked man, or male nude, was a crucial part of the academic curriculum. By studying it, artists sought to understand human anatomy and master the skill of representing it. The spear in this image is a reference to classical antiquity. Academic art often drew inspiration from Greek and Roman sculpture. The image is not necessarily progressive or conservative in nature, but it does reflect the institutional structures of art education in its time. As historians, we can research the archives of art academies and analyze their syllabi to better understand the norms and values that shaped artistic production. The meaning of this artwork is contingent on the social and institutional context in which it was created.