Study Head 

Anthony van Dyck made this oil sketch called 'Study Head' in the 17th century, a time when the institutions of art were shifting. Van Dyck was a Flemish artist who became a court painter in England, a country undergoing massive social upheaval at the time. This sketch gives us an insight into the artist's process, and the way art academies trained artists at that time. As a painter, Van Dyck made portraits of the wealthy and powerful, like King Charles I. But here, he seems to be exploring a different kind of subject: an ordinary man. How does the artist make meaning from the subject's dress? What does the quick application of paint suggest? The image's cultural references and historical associations are fascinating to explore, and there's a lot of research material available to understand it better. This artwork reveals that the meaning of art is deeply connected to the social and institutional context in which it was made.