Frederik V står ud fra Korsør 1749

Curator: Before us, we have Poul Isac Grønvold’s engraving, "Frederik V st\u00e5r ud fra Kors\u00f8r," dating from 1749. Editor: Ooh, drama! It feels very staged, almost theatrical, with that dramatic puff of smoke and those ships positioned just so. Curator: Indeed, there's a strong Baroque sensibility present. The meticulous detail, the interplay of light and shadow – even within a print – guides the eye strategically across the composition. Notice the precise delineation of the cityscape in the background versus the dominance of the ship in the foreground. The lines articulate form, defining shapes with incredible exactitude, an attempt to capture and distill a moment into clear, intelligible structures. Editor: It's interesting how the supposed subject, Frederik V, isn't explicitly depicted, or is he hidden somewhere? The ships command all the attention, these almost performative vessels cutting through a fairly still expanse of water. It really pulls at that tension of departure and anticipation. Are we watching a farewell? An inspection of his navy? This is why it looks like he is heading off for Corsair! There's something faintly melancholic in the composition. Curator: The city, identifiable perhaps, could represent the Kingdom. What’s highlighted is the very spectacle and power, what it means to command it on the waters that support it, using both realistic representation and allegorical weight to construct and uphold ideas about rule, authority, and a controlled world. The materiality, too—that line scratched into copper and pressed onto paper—offers a fascinating parallel with what one expects art to produce through technical excellence. Editor: You put that into my head! So, what looks melancholy is just controlled, technical art practice, and by implication it is the exercise of authority in controlling, staging a vision...I guess it takes me back, full circle, I find in this exercise an uneasy power!