Studieblad, onder andere met een monnik 1839

Johannes Tavenraat created this study sheet with pen in 1839, preserving it in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. This sheet offers insight into the artistic training and visual culture of the Netherlands during a time of significant political and social change. The Netherlands, having recently emerged from Napoleonic rule, was solidifying its national identity, which Tavenraat reflects through his artistic pursuits. This study sheet exemplifies the kind of academic exercises typical of art education at the time. The drawings of caricatured faces and animals suggest a study of character and form, essential skills for artists who would contribute to the national narrative. The inclusion of printed text hints at the intersection of art and commerce, an emerging aspect of the art world with the rise of the middle class. To fully understand Tavenraat's work, it would be useful to explore the archives of art academies and the publications of the period, gaining a deeper understanding of the social conditions that shaped artistic production.