Gesten einer rechten und einer linken Hand 

Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld made this study of hands with pencil sometime in the 19th century. These are, of course, gestures made by a right and a left hand, and while seemingly simple, this sheet reveals much about the art academy in nineteenth-century Europe. In the 1800s, it was common practice for artists to master drawing by copying existing works or life casts. Schnorr von Carolsfeld was a Nazarene painter, part of a movement of German Romantic artists who aimed to revive religious art. Figures from the Bible were central to this practice. To render these religious scenes convincingly, a painter would have to be well-versed in human anatomy. This study, then, reflects academic training, particularly of the hand. It reflects institutional standards about what an artwork should achieve and how an artist should train. If you want to know more about the history of academic training in nineteenth-century Europe, the museum archive is a great place to start.