Tre mandsfigurer, de to nøgne, den tredje påklædt 1770s

Nicolai Abildgaard made this pen and brown ink drawing of three male figures, here in Copenhagen, sometime in the late 18th century. It exemplifies the period’s fascination with classical antiquity. Neoclassical artists like Abildgaard looked to ancient Greek and Roman art for inspiration, seeking to revive what they saw as the purity and nobility of those earlier forms. The figures’ idealized bodies reflect this aspiration, although their poses suggest a more human emotionality. Abildgaard was a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, and this drawing likely served as a study for his students. The naked form was the most important subject at the academy. By emphasizing the importance of drawing after the nude, the academy sought to promote a particular vision of art and beauty. The study of such artworks today involves considering how such institutions shape artistic taste. What was excluded from the academy’s curriculum is as significant as what was included. We can study such things through archive documents and early books on art theory.