Stående ung mandlig model 1717 - 1776

Jacques François Joseph Saly made this red chalk drawing of a standing young male model sometime in the 18th century. During this period, the naked male form was used to express power and ideal beauty. The model here, however, has a more relaxed, less idealized form, signaling the beginning of a shift away from the traditional Baroque. In a time when academies played a huge role in defining artistic standards, this drawing was likely used as a study. Saly, who became the director of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, would probably have used the image to teach his students anatomy and the classical ideals of form. Consider the power dynamics at play here. A male artist depicting a male model, setting the stage for future generations to learn from this idealized, yet submissive image. It makes you think about the ways in which art both reflects and shapes our understanding of gender, beauty, and power, doesn’t it?