Gewandstudie zum Herzog von Alba in der _Gefangennahme Egmonts_ 

Julius Hamel made this pencil study of the Duke of Alba’s robes, probably in the mid-19th century, as preparation for a history painting. It’s easy to overlook drawings like this, but they are vital to understanding the larger project of academic painting. Consider the amount of labor involved – not just Hamel’s, but also the unseen work of producing the Duke’s clothing. Aristocratic display depended on armies of spinners, weavers, dyers, and tailors. The finest fabrics were prized for their ability to hold light and cast shadows, a quality Hamel expertly captures. The study is a way of mastering these visual effects, translating them into the controlled medium of pencil on paper. In a sense, it’s a form of reverse-engineering: Hamel is taking apart the finished product to understand how it was constructed. Only then could he convincingly represent the Duke in his full glory, reinforcing a social hierarchy that depended on both material production and artistic representation. The study is in conversation with class, labor, and modes of production.