Siddende mand set fra ryggen 1847 - 1848

Martinus Rørbye made this drawing of a seated man from the back with graphite on paper. Given the artist’s lifetime, we can assume this work was made in Denmark, sometime in the first half of the 19th century, a period of significant social and political change. Rørbye was a prominent figure in the Danish Golden Age, a time when Danish art and culture flourished. The sketch might seem like a simple study of a figure, but it's worth considering the context of artistic training in that era. Artists often honed their skills through such studies, which were frequently supported by institutions such as the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. We see a focus on the individual, indicative of the rising bourgeois class and its values. The man's clothing suggests a certain social standing, a detail that reflects the era's class consciousness. To fully appreciate the work, one might explore the archives of the Academy, or delve into studies of Danish social history. Art, after all, is always a product of its time, shaped by the prevailing social and institutional forces.