Forskellige studier 1879 - 1910

Oluf Hartmann made this sketch, in which multiple studies are present, with pencil, crayon and charcoal on paper. Hartmann was Danish, so the starting point for any understanding of his art has to be the social and cultural institutions of Denmark around 1900. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Danish art experienced a golden age, deeply intertwined with the national romantic movement. Artists were exploring themes of national identity, often turning to the landscape and history of Denmark for inspiration. Royal patronage played a significant role in the arts, shaping artistic production and taste. Here, Hartmann seems to be grappling with an artistic and cultural inheritance and trying to find his own style. The sketch gives us an insight into Hartmann's working process and the cultural ideas that informed it. To fully understand Hartmann’s place in Danish art history, one could look at exhibition catalogues and the records of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. The meaning of art always depends on context.