Portræt af maleren J.L. Lund 1861 - 1866

J.V. Gertner made this portrait of the painter J.L. Lund in Denmark, sometime in the mid-19th century. It is made using a fine graphic style on paper. Portraits have always played a central role in defining status and memorializing important figures. During the 1800s, portraiture became more widespread among the middle classes in Europe, though artists like Lund still represented the elites of society. He was known for his history paintings and altarpieces, often in the Neoclassical style, a style favored by the Danish art academy at the time. Here, Gertner gives us a more intimate view of Lund, capturing the artist’s character using a more informal style. This shift reflects a change in artistic values, away from the rigid rules of the academy, towards a more personal and expressive approach. To understand this work fully, we need to research the artistic and social circles of Copenhagen at the time, including the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and how it shaped artistic careers. The meaning of this portrait, like any artwork, is closely tied to its historical and institutional context.