Study for Drawing from Life at the Royal Academy, Somerset House, from Microcosm of London (recto); Study for Drawing from Life at the Royal Academy, Somerset House, from Microcosm of London c. 1808

Augustus Charles Pugin created this study for "Drawing from Life at the Royal Academy, Somerset House" with graphite on paper. The composition is structured by the contrast between the open space of the foreground and the density of figures and objects in the background. Pugin’s use of line is delicate, almost tentative, creating a sense of depth through varied line weights. The diffuse lighting suggests the room is a stage for observation and learning. The drawing captures a moment within the Royal Academy, a space dedicated to the codification and transmission of artistic knowledge. The arrangement of figures, with the nude model elevated and surrounded by artists, reflects a hierarchy of looking and being looked at. This echoes broader structuralist ideas about how systems of representation reinforce social roles and power dynamics. The drawing is more than a mere depiction, it’s a document of the structures that govern artistic production.