Studier af hunde 1832

Martinus Rørbye made this pencil drawing, "Studies of Dogs," sometime in the first half of the 19th century. It's a work that shows the artist thinking through the process of representation. Rørbye was part of the Danish Golden Age, a period of intense national pride and cultural production. Artists looked to the local landscape and folk traditions for inspiration. But they were also deeply engaged with European artistic trends. Animal studies, like this one, were common in academic training, a way to understand anatomy and movement. The drawing itself is simple, but it speaks to the institutional structures that shaped artistic practice at the time. What was considered appropriate subject matter? How did artists learn their craft? These are questions we can begin to answer through careful study of works like this. Art history is not just about aesthetics; it's about understanding the social and cultural forces that shape what we see. To know more, explore the archives of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.