Satire over at politiet og tallotteriet havde bolig på Charlottenborg sammen med Kunstakademiet. Folk fra tallotteriet og vægtere ses sammen med de tre gratier 1743 - 1809

This is a satirical drawing by Nicolai Abildgaard, made with pen and brown ink. It reflects the social dynamics within Charlottenborg Palace, where the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts shared space with the police and state lottery. Abildgaard critiques the societal values of his time. He juxtaposes the lofty ideals of art, represented by the three nude Graces, with the more mundane and perhaps corrupt activities of the lottery officials and watchmen. Note how they are rendered with the same level of detail, suggesting an equivalence, or perhaps even a dominance, of the everyday over the ideal. Abildgaard, as an artist and intellectual, likely felt a tension between the pursuit of artistic excellence and the socio-economic realities that shaped his world. He questions what society values and how institutions can both elevate and degrade culture. The emotional undercurrent here is one of frustration, even a sense of betrayal, as the sacred space of art is encroached upon by the profane concerns of daily life.