En hånd, tegnet efter gips 1830 - 1833

Dankvart Dreyer made this drawing of a hand, copied from a plaster cast, using graphite. Within the European art academy system of the 19th century, the practice of copying existing artworks and plaster casts of classical sculpture was central to an artist's training. Looking at the image, we can see how the artist uses the graphic medium to study the effects of light and shadow on the human form. This was made in Denmark at a time when the country's art institutions were becoming more formally organized. As the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts grew in prominence, so did the professionalization of art and the establishment of standards for artistic excellence. Art historians rely on the records of such institutions to track the changing nature of art making and the social status of artists in specific cultural contexts.