Udkast til en portrætgruppe. Regine Sophie Tutein, f. Wraatz med sønnen Peter 1798 - 1801

Jens Juel sketched this portrait study of Regine Sophie Tutein and her son Peter, using chalk on paper. Completed in the late eighteenth century, this image offers insights into the social values of the Danish Golden Age. Juel was a leading portraitist. His work helped define the visual culture of the Danish elite. Here, the emphasis on domesticity and motherhood aligns with the era’s sentimental ideals. The sketch might seem simple, but it embodies complex class dynamics. Regine Sophie, dressed in neoclassical garb, represents the fashionable tastes of the bourgeoisie. Her attentive gaze and delicate posture reflect the era's emphasis on sensibility and refinement. In contrast, her son seems less idealized and more in motion, perhaps capturing a ‘realistic’ image of childhood. To fully understand this sketch, one might delve into family archives, fashion plates, and period literature. By exploring the institutional histories of art academies and patronage networks, we can better understand the place of an artwork like this within the wider culture.