Linierids til et møbel 1743 - 1809

Nicolai Abildgaard made this drawing for a piece of furniture in Denmark during the late 18th or early 19th century. At the time, Abildgaard was the director of the Danish Academy of Art, so we might see this work as a demonstration of how classical forms could be translated into practical, modern design. Notice the neo-classical urn shape depicted in light pencil strokes at the top right, for instance. The faintness of the drawing might also imply the tentative nature of its cultural authority, and how this was something that needed to be adapted and adjusted to a Danish context. Studying Abildgaard's work means understanding the role of the Academy in shaping artistic taste and in translating European trends for a local audience. This drawing invites us to consider the social life of design and the cultural institutions through which design takes shape.