Paarden, mannenkoppen en een eendenkop 1840

Johannes Tavenraat made this drawing of horses, men, and a duck's head, with pen and brown ink, in the Netherlands, sometime in the mid-19th century. This sheet of sketches offers a glimpse into the academic practices of the time. Note the presence of anatomical studies of animals, which were fundamental to the creation of convincing and impressive history paintings. In the 19th century, history painting was considered the highest genre in the academic hierarchy. Institutions like the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam, where Tavenraat taught, played a central role in shaping artistic taste and promoting specific artistic values. So while on the face of it this sketch may appear informal, it is a product of a formal system of artistic training. To truly understand this drawing, we need to delve into the curricula of art academies and the broader cultural values that shaped artistic production in the Netherlands during the 19th century.