Zittende man met hand in de zij c. 1908 - 1923

Ferdinand Oldewelt made this sketch of a seated man with hand on hip sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. As a sketch, it offers a glimpse into the world of academic art training in the Netherlands at the time. Oldewelt probably made this study as a student, meticulously observing a posed model. The detached studies of the hands on the page reveal an academic emphasis on mastering human anatomy. It was a time when art institutions were solidifying their power to define artistic standards. The sketch format itself is significant. Academic artists often produced countless studies like this. The goal was to perfect their technical skills through careful observation and practice, skills then applied to history painting or portraiture, the genres most valued by the art market and the institutions of the art world. To understand this work fully, we would need to explore the archives of Dutch art academies. These institutions shaped the careers and artistic output of artists like Oldewelt, and tell us a great deal about art's social role in the Netherlands at the time.