Aftentime på Kunstakademiets gipsskole 1823 - 1889

Carl Anton Schmidt created this lithograph of "Evening Time at the Art Academy's Plaster Cast School." It provides a glimpse into the artistic training of the mid-19th century. The piece reveals much about the social and cultural values that shaped artistic education at the time. Notice the rows of young men diligently sketching a female nude sculpture, the embodiment of classical ideals. It's impossible to ignore the gendered dynamics at play. These young men were being trained to see and depict the female form in a very particular, idealized way, reinforcing traditional power structures. The nude form becomes an object of study, filtered through a male gaze that has historically dominated art. How might the absence of women in the room affect the kind of art being produced? What emotional impact does this scene evoke, considering the exclusive nature of artistic training during this period? It’s a depiction that encourages us to reflect on the relationship between art, gender, and the construction of societal norms.