En Regimentstambour 1818 - 1821

Curator: Here we have "En Regimentstambour" by Johannes Senn, dating from 1818 to 1821. It's held here at the SMK, Statens Museum for Kunst. A wonderfully crisp print, etched with incredible detail. Editor: My first thought? Remarkably formal. He seems caught between stoicism and a hint of vulnerability in those eyes, which contradicts the caricature. Curator: Interesting you say that. Senn's prints were very much tied to the socio-political moment. They catered to a rising sense of national identity, portraying military figures not just as warriors, but as symbols of stability during post-Napoleonic times. Academic art certainly playing a part. Editor: Well, from a formal perspective, look how his gaze intersects with the linear precision of his uniform—the regimented red, green and white are striking, each precisely delineated and contrasting starkly. I am more concerned with composition and line and not his position within the history painting milieu. Curator: Precisely! The almost caricaturist rendering is indeed undercut with the formal posing – suggesting both the everyman, and the idealized soldier of the Danish King. You'll note how even the shadow behind him emphasizes his rigid posture. The print medium allowed these images to be circulated widely, furthering their impact. Editor: What I find engaging is the visual tension, the feather in his hat, or the tassels hanging from his sword. Senn expertly juxtaposes rigidity with softness and uses the figure's pose to activate the pictorial space. See, he anchors it, but those elements of curvilinear softness give movement to an otherwise still image. It avoids total stasis. Curator: Indeed, you make a valid observation! It demonstrates how this drum major straddled a time of massive cultural change, of revolutions and reformations. Editor: So, we observe through history a snapshot in the moment that created this striking composition of line and texture.