Udkast til et hilfigursportræt af en herre, siddende i det fri 1777 - 1779

Jens Juel made this sketch in pencil, intending it as a study for a full portrait. This artwork is a product of late 18th-century Denmark, a time when portraiture served specific social functions. It wasn't just about appearances; portraits were tools for constructing and reinforcing social status. Juel, as a leading portraitist, was deeply embedded in this system. The landed gentry were the most important class, and they could only hold on to that status by controlling the image they presented to the world. The way Juel uses the artistic conventions of his time - the pose, the clothing, the landscape - creates the cultural meaning of the artwork. Historical archives, such as letters, diaries, and estate records, can reveal even more about the sitter's social position and how Juel's art contributed to it. Understanding the social and institutional context of art helps us recognize the power dynamics at play.