Portræt af Wilhelm Marstrand 1852

Curator: This is Constantin Hansen’s “Portræt af Wilhelm Marstrand,” created in 1852, currently residing at the SMK, the Statens Museum for Kunst. Editor: It has a serious, almost austere mood to it. The lines are quite pronounced, very deliberate. I wonder what the materiality adds to it. Curator: Indeed, it is an engraving and a charcoal drawing. Hansen has clearly thought about line weight and direction. The vertical hatching in the background, contrasted with the delicate cross-hatching defining Marstrand's face, really creates depth. Note the treatment of light on the brow, and the precise curls in the hair; there's a masterful control there. Editor: Thinking about engravings—they were often produced to be disseminated widely, to bring images to the masses, so what's the socio-political context in Denmark during this time for artists being elevated? Curator: The Golden Age of Danish Painting was in full swing. The influence of Neoclassicism is still apparent, particularly in the structured composition, yet Romantic ideals of individualism also come through, perhaps most clearly in Marstrand’s own rather assertive gaze. Editor: But also, consider the labour involved in an engraving versus painting. How does the accessibility of printmaking change how we view the artist's hand versus painting? This process suggests that prints democratize portraits, enabling the likeness of prominent people, especially artists, to be widely available. Curator: Perhaps that democratizing effect is part of why Hansen made it? However, the formality of the portrait remains intact: it signifies status, even while making that status available to a broader audience. Editor: Yes, a fascinating tension! It seems that print as a material mediates artmaking. It allows the production of a high-art object, accessible to more individuals who might not be able to engage in other forms, but does not dissolve its connection to the means and modes of high culture and production. Curator: It certainly provides an interesting insight. A final, very intriguing composition, especially when viewed through a materialist lens.