Studie van een arm en romp 1841 - 1857

Johan Daniël Koelman made this drawing of an arm and torso with graphite. In nineteenth-century Europe, academic art training was becoming increasingly systematized. The study of anatomy was central to this process, and drawing from life or plaster casts was a key pedagogical method. The Rijksakademie, like other art academies in Europe, likely used studies such as this one in its teaching collection. We can think of this drawing, then, as being both a work of art in its own right, and a kind of instructional tool. But it’s also important to note the historical context. Koelman produced this drawing at a time of major social change. As the Industrial Revolution progressed, new social classes and political ideologies were emerging. Art academies were often seen as conservative institutions, upholding traditional values and hierarchies. To better understand the significance of this drawing, we might research the curriculum of the Rijksakademie.