Studie til det Holmskioldske familiebillede fra 1787: sofaen med bordet til højre, og alle tre figurers placering skitseret 1785 - 1788

Curator: Here we have a pencil drawing by Jens Juel, created between 1785 and 1788. It is entitled "Study for the Holmskiold Family Portrait from 1787: The Sofa with the Table to the Right, and an Outline of the Placement of All Three Figures". Editor: A very preliminary sketch, then. Immediately, the mood is… tentative. Lines are searching, and nothing is fully committed. Curator: Absolutely. It offers a privileged view into Juel's artistic process, doesn’t it? Notice how the spatial relations are being worked out, almost like a geometric problem. Editor: I see the geometric underpinnings, certainly. But my eye is drawn to the hands. They appear almost prematurely rendered, compared to the haziness of the figures. Is it possible Juel saw the hands as symbolic of some activity within the family? Curator: It could well be. A symbol for work or craft, or perhaps affection… but more obviously, formally speaking, note the contrast in the weight of the lines used. See how the lines that create the hands are heavier, denser, than those defining the sofa or even the figures themselves. Editor: Which grants them greater symbolic presence, whether intended or not! Perhaps those hands allude to the passing of time, or even legacy itself. Considering it’s a family portrait… Curator: It’s difficult to ignore the iconography of hands, particularly in portraiture. The gestures, the objects held... it’s all carefully coded. Editor: The entire composition hints at the hidden emotional dynamics and power structures within the family. Who touches what, and how? These sketches allow us to look at details we would ignore in the painting itself. Curator: The bareness of this piece strips away the glamour and artifice. This allows a renewed understanding and appreciation of Juel's deliberate artistry. Editor: Indeed. By focusing on the line work and symbolic placement, we glean a fresh insight. A privileged view into the human condition as rendered through composition, line, and potentially powerful symbolism.