Drapery c. 1840

Jakob Gustav Kaupert created this drapery study with graphite on paper. Kaupert, who lived through the 19th century, came of age during a time when academic art training emphasized rigorous study of form, and drapery was a central subject in that pursuit. These folds and falls of fabric might seem mundane, but think about how clothing mediates our interactions with the world. What we wear often signals our social status, our profession, or even our political beliefs. So in a way, these studies of fabric are studies of identity, of how we present ourselves to the world. Artists like Kaupert were interested in understanding the ways cloth can both reveal and conceal. In looking at this study, I can't help but think about the hidden figures, the untold stories woven into the fabric of history, and I wonder, what hidden narratives lie beneath the surface?