Skatmester, grev Heinrich Carl Schimmelmann stående, iklædt elefantordenens dragt og med ordenen l'union parfaite 1782

This sculpture of Heinrich Carl Schimmelmann was created by Luigi di Giuseppe Grossi. Though undated, it gives us a glimpse into the life of a man who rose to prominence during a tumultuous period in Danish history. Schimmelmann was a merchant and politician whose wealth came from his involvement in the sugar trade, which relied heavily on enslaved labor in the West Indies. The sculpture, depicting Schimmelmann in the regalia of the Order of the Elephant, speaks to the visual language of power and status. But it also prompts us to consider the source of that power and status. What does it mean to memorialize a figure whose wealth was derived from the exploitation of others? It asks us to confront the uncomfortable truths about our shared past, and to consider the ways in which the legacies of colonialism and slavery continue to shape our present.