Idol 1886

Vincent van Gogh created this drawing on paper, titled ‘Idol’, as part of his academic training. The image bears witness to the standard curriculum of 19th century art academies, which insisted on the mastery of the human form as a necessary foundation for any aspiring painter. At the time, the nude was seen as the ultimate artistic subject: classical, universal, and timeless. We might ask, however, what social function was served by the routine rendering of nude male bodies? In many ways, this was a tradition that reinforced prevailing notions of masculinity. Note the idealized form, carefully lit to accentuate musculature. Van Gogh’s drawing, which likely represents a studio exercise completed in Belgium or the Netherlands, speaks to the institutional frameworks that shaped art production and to the values that were embedded in artistic training. By researching these institutions and the aesthetic values that they promoted, we can better understand the social meanings of art.