Studie af en stående mands venstre ben 1780s

Jens Juel made this drawing, Studie af en stående mands venstre ben, with graphite. Juel was a leading portrait painter in Denmark during the late 18th century. He became director of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts at a time when the institution was heavily influenced by Enlightenment ideals of reason and observation. Drawings like this one were an important part of academic training, focusing on anatomical accuracy and realistic rendering. This idealized depiction of the male form reflects the emphasis on classical ideals of beauty promoted by the academy and, through the academy, into Danish culture. We can look at this drawing as an expression of the academy’s values. It is one of many resources we could draw on to help us understand the history of the art academy and the ways that Danish artists participated in broader European conversations about art and its public role during the Enlightenment.