Anton Løvenberg

This drawing of a seated young man is from a portfolio of works that Anton Løvenberg made while studying at the Royal Art Academy in Copenhagen in the 1840s. The art curriculum of that era began with tracing or copying from drawings by professors, then sketching from casts of famous ancient statues. Smooth modeling and firm, solid outlines give this study a heavy, sculptural quality, suggesting that Løvenberg probably created it very early in the third and final phase of his training: working directly with a live model. With his sketchbook in hand, this model is himself an artist, most likely a fellow student at the Academy. Outside of formal life-drawing classes, art students frequently modeled for one another, collaborating to further their education in the absence of funds for hiring professionals.