Stående nøgen dreng. Modelstudie 1884 - 1885

Vilhelm Hammershøi made this study of a standing nude boy with charcoal on paper during the late 19th or early 20th century. It's a work that reflects the academic tradition in Europe at the time. Male nudes were commonplace in art schools. This was part of a long-standing pedagogical method where students learn anatomy and form, and understand classical ideals of beauty. In Denmark, the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts played a crucial role in shaping artistic norms. Hammershøi himself attended the Academy, absorbing these traditions. But this work is not without its unsettling aspects. The vulnerability of the boy and the intense gaze of the artist, open up issues of power and sexuality. The image also invites questions about the relationship between art and social norms. To fully understand a work like this, one must consider the institutional settings in which artists like Hammershøi trained. We can research archival material from art academies, and critical reviews from the period. Art like this always exists in a specific time and place.