Handen en voeten c. 1840 - 1843

Editor: We're looking at "Handen en voeten," or "Hands and Feet," a pencil drawing from around 1840-1843 by Sybrand Altmann, at the Rijksmuseum. The light and shadow on the limbs almost give it the feel of a photograph. What strikes you about this seemingly simple sketch? Curator: The starkness of the drawing itself invites us to consider the politics of artistic training in the 19th century. Drawings such as this weren’t considered artworks in their own right but rather studies. The Rijksmuseum housing it today implies a shift, doesn't it? When did studies of human anatomy start being seen as significant pieces, moving from the back rooms of the artist to the gallery wall? Editor: That's a great point. It makes you wonder about the intended audience back then, too. Curator: Exactly. Who was this for? Fellow artists? Was this destined to inform a larger history painting perhaps? Academic art emphasized mastering the human form through rigorous practice. Notice how Altmann meticulously renders each tendon and bone. He’s demonstrating skill but for what social purpose? Was it revolutionary, or just another brick in the wall of established artistic conventions? Editor: I guess, without the context, it's just skill. Knowing the social structures behind it makes it a statement, or acceptance, either way... intentional. Curator: Precisely. And how might this relate to societal attitudes toward the body in that period? Was there an emphasis on the idealized form, and if so, how did that manifest itself in art education? Understanding the institutional backdrop really reframes how we see this drawing, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Totally. I hadn't thought about it that way at all. It shows the impact that art institutions and social norms have in elevating this piece from an exercise into something more. Thanks!