Portræt af Carl Locher, en face 1898

Editor: Here we have P.S. Krøyer's "Portrait of Carl Locher, en face" from 1898, an etching printed on paper. It has a rather intense quality, almost confrontational. What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: The most compelling thing for me is Krøyer’s choice of etching itself. Printmaking allowed for wider dissemination of images; how does that impact the perception and consumption of portraiture at the time? Who would have had access to such a piece and how does that inform the social standing of both artist and subject? Editor: That's interesting. I hadn’t thought about the role of prints in circulating images and status. Does the etching technique itself—the lines, the cross-hatching—play a part in conveying meaning here? Curator: Absolutely. The etched line becomes a unit of artistic labor. Note how Krøyer uses a network of very visible lines to construct not only the likeness of Locher, but the very idea of him. Look closely—do you think the relatively "unfinished" quality speaks to ideas of mass production versus the singular artwork? Is there any distinction here between craft and "fine art?" Editor: So, it's not just about representing Carl Locher but about the means of production contributing to that representation, even democratizing portraiture to some extent. Curator: Exactly! It asks us to consider how the value of art is tied to its production and accessibility, not solely to its aesthetic qualities. Considering the subject matter is another artist also makes one wonder if the artists had any particular agreements for selling and sharing this material for self-promotion purposes. Editor: I never would have considered those layers without your perspective. Thank you. Curator: And thank you; seeing it again this way clarifies Krøyer's clever material strategy for me.