During the 17th and 18th centuries, academies for the training of sculptors and painters were set up all over Europe. Students gained knowledge from life drawing and the study of anatomy, as well as from instruction in the practical aspects of their art. Academies also formed collections of casts of celebrated classical sculptures for students to draw and study. This figure and that of Adam (inv.no. A.14-1951) may have been used for teaching figure drawing at an academy. The pose of each figure can be varied. The arms and hands are separately made and roughly attached.