in the Graphic Cabinet
How does one learn to draw the human body? This question is at the heart of the exhibition “Generation 1700” which focuses on drawing instruction at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture, France's prestigious art academy in the 18th century— a time of profound social upheaval: While the bourgeoisie emancipated itself from the absolutist court under the banner of the Enlightenment, drawing itself also became a medium of liberation. At that time, young artists not only depicted the human body, but also studied anatomy with rational insight and understood it as an expression of individual ideas.
On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Franco-German friendship, which will be celebrated in 2026, the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart is highlighting drawing from live models between discipline, science, and artistic development.
The exhibition in the Graphic Cabinet focuses on Michel-François Dandré-Bardon (1700–1783), one of the most important artists of the French Enlightenment. With his understanding of anatomy and a keen sense of movement and materiality, he stages the human body in dramatically composed studies: literally from head to toe. His works impressively demonstrate how the strict principles of the Academy provide fertile ground for artistic experimentation.
The Staatsgalerie possesses one of the most extensive collections of Dandré-Bardon's graphic works in Europe. Works by contemporaries such as Carle van Loo, Jean François de Troy, Charles Joseph Natoire, and Nicolas Guibal complement the presentation. With around 80 drawings, graphic prints, and paintings, most of which are being shown for the first time, the exhibition “Generation 1700” offers a glimpse into everyday life at the Academy.
Credit: Michel-François Dandré-Bardon, Junger Künstler beim Zeichnen einer weiblichen Büste, um 1765, © Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, Graphische Sammlung