The Composer Peter Arnold Heise 1862

Editor: This is a marble bust titled "The Composer Peter Arnold Heise" created in 1862 by H.W. Bissen, housed at the SMK. I find the sculpture very austere and commanding. What can you tell me about it? Curator: The use of marble is crucial here. It speaks volumes about the sitter's status. Think about the quarries, the transportation, the sheer labor involved in extracting and carving it in the 19th century. Marble, with its historical association with Roman emperors and Greek gods, automatically elevates Heise to a position of cultural importance. Editor: So the material itself is making a statement about Heise’s perceived value to society? Curator: Precisely. Consider too the labor – the sculptor’s skill in transforming a raw material, coupled with the networks required for its procurement. This wasn’t just an artistic endeavor; it was a statement of cultural and economic power. Bissen doesn’t just depict Heise; he participates in cementing Heise’s position within a cultural hierarchy. What sort of market forces do you think made a portrait like this possible at this moment in time? Editor: Perhaps a growing sense of national pride in the arts? Curator: That could be one element. But I'd push you to also consider how increasing industrialization and trade at this moment could be a factor of rising financial fortunes of composers and artists in society, alongside, of course, the artist’s access to materials. Editor: I never really considered the socio-economic implications of something as simple as the choice of marble. I guess I thought about it being durable but not about the economics behind it. Curator: Seeing the raw material and its labor process allows for a whole new way of seeing the social relations enmeshed within art making.