Two Studies of Bearded Men; verso: Studies after Antique Sculpture 1750 - 1814

Bartholomaeus Ignaz Weiss made this drawing of two bearded men with red and black chalk sometime in his lifetime, between 1730 and 1814. The image is a study of heads, likely modeled on antique sculpture, as indicated by the inscription on the back. Weiss was working in a period when the academies of Europe institutionalized the study of classical art. The rediscovery of ancient sites like Pompeii fueled a fascination with Greece and Rome. Artists believed that emulating classical forms would elevate their own work. But more than this, the academies also enforced a strict hierarchy of genres. History painting, which often drew on classical subjects, was considered the most important, and studies like this one were crucial preparation. We can see how art education and the authority of classical antiquity shaped artistic production at this time. By researching the curriculum of academies, and the collecting habits of institutions, we can better understand the values that shaped the art of Weiss's time.