Portræt af kgl. hofapoteker Johann Gottfried Becker 1726 - 1793

Curator: Up next we have C.G. Pilo's portrait of Johann Gottfried Becker. It's rendered in oil on canvas. Editor: I find the way the light catches his powdered wig really striking, especially against the muted background. Curator: Indeed, the application of paint is interesting here. Pilo's brushwork really highlights the textures and reflects a very specific societal embrace of elaborate fashion. As court apothecary, Becker would have occupied a very privileged place within 18th-century society. Editor: And that status is reinforced here by the artist, right? Consider the construction of ideal masculinity through controlled pose and an upward gaze, not to mention the delicate lace at his wrist, a subtle indicator of wealth and power. Was access to medicine class-based during this period, I wonder? Curator: Absolutely. Furthermore, access to the very materials of artmaking and to an artist of Pilo's calibre was restricted. Pilo used costly pigments, layered to achieve a convincing likeness that flatters his subject. We have to consider the labor of producing the paints themselves, the mining of minerals and refining of oils necessary for such a lifelike depiction. Editor: I'm thinking about the concept of medical authority during that era, who was perceived as holding knowledge, and how portraiture was used as a tool for solidifying that authority and perpetuating those social hierarchies. We can see a visual representation of status playing out through composition and brushstroke. Curator: The portrait is undeniably a commodity, a representation of social capital painstakingly created using materials sourced through exploitative practices. Editor: Precisely. It serves as a stark reminder of power dynamics, doesn't it? Curator: Yes. Analyzing this piece forces us to consider what goes into constructing these symbols of power, beyond just the face at the center. Editor: Ultimately, looking at this artwork prompts crucial discussion around art's ability to reflect the complexities of class, labor and health across time.