The Drawing School
The Drawing School
The Drawing School
By Michiel Sweerts
The Drawing School
The Drawing School
The Drawing School
An artist’s studio where a large group of pupils are drawing a male nude from life. To the right, seen from the rear, is the master. There have been different opinions as to what this painting shows. At one stage it was thought that it was a picture of Frans Hals’s studio, by Job Berckheyde of Haarlem. Later it was suggested that ‘boys from good families’ had drawing lessons in this studio as part of their upbringing and education. In any case, it can be assumed that the painting gives a realistic impression of life drawing in the 17th century. Drawing from live models – nude or otherwise – was an important part of a painter’s training. Sweerts himself ran an art school in Brussels which trained students in life drawing.