Naaktstudies van vrouw en man 1787 - 1808

Jan Brandes created this graphite drawing, titled *Naked Studies of a Woman and a Man*, sometime between 1743 and 1808. Brandes's meticulous approach to anatomy reflects the Enlightenment's emphasis on scientific observation. However, his work also reveals the complexities of cultural exchange and representation. Brandes spent much of his life working for the Dutch East India Company. As such, the piece invites questions about the power dynamics inherent in the depiction of the human form. Whose bodies were deemed worthy of artistic study, and what social norms governed their representation? The visible grid underneath the drawing adds another layer, reminding us that this is both an artistic rendering and a study. How might the model have felt, being both an object of scientific observation and an artistic muse? The intimate and exposed nature of this drawing invites a contemplation of identity, representation, and the politics of looking.