Zittend mannelijk naakt, op de rug gezien (3e prijs 1791) Possibly 1791 - 1793

Hendrik Bitter made this red chalk drawing of a seated male nude in 1791. What makes this drawing so interesting is the inscription; it tells us that it was awarded third prize. This work gives us a glimpse into the institutional practices of art academies in the late 18th century. In the Netherlands, as elsewhere in Europe, the art academy was central to artistic training and the establishment of artistic reputations. The naked human body was at the heart of this academic practice. Students would copy antique sculptures and draw from life in order to master the ideal proportions of the human form. But it was also an intensely social activity, as students competed for recognition and prizes. Studying Bitter’s drawing, therefore, involves understanding this institutional context and the social dynamics of the Dutch art world. Researching the archives of art academies can reveal much about the social conditions that shaped artistic production at the time.