Studienblatt_ _Nach der Schule (Anfänge der Kunst)_; Pflanzen c. 1873

Hans Thoma sketched this pencil drawing, Studienblatt_ _Nach der Schule (Anfänge der Kunst)_; Pflanzen, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century. Thoma was a German painter, associated with a late flowering of Romanticism, who served as a Professor and Director at the Karlsruhe Academy. In this sketch, the artist has depicted a young man sketching outside and some roughly sketched plants. These suggest the importance of direct observation as part of an academic training. Throughout Europe in the 19th century, art academies became newly important in determining taste. They codified styles and techniques, and provided artists with a network of patronage. But, by the end of the century, some artists began to challenge the authority of the academies, suggesting that there were other ways of making art than what was taught in institutions. To understand this work better, we can consult the archives of the Karlsruhe Academy. The meaning of this sketch is inseparable from the institutional forces that shaped Thoma's career.