Drie ogen, twee monden en een oor 1820 - 1826

Jean Augustin Daiwaille created this lithograph, "Three Eyes, Two Mouths, and an Ear," during the first half of the 19th century in the Netherlands, a period marked by significant political and social upheaval as the Dutch sought to redefine their national identity after French occupation. These studies of facial features are typical of academic exercises used in art schools of the period. They would have been preparatory to history paintings, or portraiture - both of which were strongly tied to the prevailing social and political order. In a society still rigidly stratified by class, the ability to accurately depict the human form was not merely a technical skill but a means of upholding specific ideals of beauty and status. Works such as this are of great interest to the social historian, as they reveal the institutional apparatus of art education that underpinned the production and reception of art in 19th-century Netherlands. Researching the archives of art academies and the writings of contemporary art critics can further illuminate the social function of such works.