Staande man 1710 - 1772

This red chalk drawing of a standing man was made by Petrus Johannes van Reysschoot, an artist working in Flanders in the first half of the 18th century. The sketch gives us an insight into the artistic training of the period. Reysschoot was part of a vibrant artistic community in the region of Ghent, and the institutions there played a crucial role in shaping the direction of his art. His father, also an artist, served as the dean of the local Guild of Saint Luke, which oversaw the training of artists, the regulation of commerce in art, and the maintenance of standards of quality. Drawings like this one would have formed the basis of an artist’s early training, as they learned to depict the human form, copying from life or from established models. The art historian can use institutional records to understand the nature of the Guild, the kind of training an artist like Reysschoot would have received, and the precise social role that artists played in Flemish society at the time.