Titelblad til "Forhandlinger ved festen i København 11. dec. 1811" 1812

Editor: Here we have "Title page for 'Proceedings at the party in Copenhagen on 11 December 1811,'" created in 1812 by Oluf Olufsen Bagge. It's a print, employing typography and engraving. There’s something a bit solemn about it, perhaps the old engraving style? What catches your eye in this piece? Curator: Ah, solemn indeed! It’s the visual language of power dressed up as something approaching divine right. See the radiating sun behind the shield bearing a…rather severe sun-face? It's pure neoclassicism, yearning back to a Roman ideal. But it also reminds me of a theatre set. Editor: A theatre set? How so? Curator: Consider the carefully arranged elements – the rock, the tiny owl perched on it, the trees… they feel staged, almost performative, don’t they? Even the typography feels like part of the dramatic scene. The inscription related to Frederik VI, in particular! I can almost hear the trumpets blaring! What do you think about how light falls within the image? Editor: Well, the radiating light definitely makes the shield prominent, almost heavenly. And, I suppose that light contrasting against the darker rocks does lend to that sense of drama. Curator: Precisely. And that contrast...that's part of what gives the piece that slightly unsettling edge, don't you think? Editor: It is unnerving, that's the perfect word. The staging with sharp tonal changes is something that definitely flew past me to begin with! Thanks for pointing that out! Curator: My pleasure. Every artwork has many points to notice.