Skitse til samme figur som på recto 1743 - 1809

This pencil sketch was created by Nicolai Abildgaard, a Danish artist active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It shows a nude male figure seated on a rock. Abildgaard was a leading figure in the Neoclassical movement in Denmark. Neoclassicism, with its emphasis on order and reason, was closely tied to the social and political upheavals of its time. Abildgaard's style references classical Greek and Roman art, echoing the Enlightenment's fascination with ancient republics as models for modern society. Abildgaard was also the director of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Understanding the institutional history of academies like this one can tell us a great deal about what kinds of art were valued, how artists were trained, and the social networks that shaped the art world. To fully understand this sketch, we might consult Abildgaard’s letters, the records of the Academy, and period writings on aesthetics and politics. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.