Ung mandlig model (skulptur?) med hånden i siden, set i profil 1831 - 1852

Dankvart Dreyer made this pencil drawing, "Young Male Model," in Denmark sometime in the mid-19th century. The image invites us to consider the relationship between art academies and the male nude in European art. Drawings like this would have been produced in the art academy as part of a student's training. Artists would work from a live model in a studio, sometimes for hours. By studying the nude, artists sought to learn about anatomy, proportion, and the ideal human form, according to classical ideals. We might ask, what are the social implications of this practice? Who had access to this type of education and who was excluded? The nude in art has historically been associated with power, beauty, and status, but it can also be seen as a site of objectification and control. To understand these images better, scholars consult archival sources from art academies, and consider how these institutions shape artistic production and the reception of art in the wider culture.