Petronelle Römeling c. 1792

Jens Juel painted this portrait of Petronelle Römeling using oil on canvas, a well-established medium by the late 18th century. Consider the way Juel built up the image, stroke by stroke. The illusion of depth and texture, like the soft folds of her shawl, comes from many layers of thin paint. Oil paint enabled the artist to blend colors seamlessly, and achieve a high level of realism, capturing the subtle nuances of light and shadow. The work’s smooth surface reflects a significant amount of labor, a process involving grinding pigments, mixing paints, layering glazes, and carefully rendering details. The value placed on this kind of skill is a reflection of its time, and the economic systems of patronage that supported artists like Juel. Appreciating the craft and materiality of this portrait helps us to understand its historical and social context, moving beyond the mere representation to consider the conditions of its creation.