Kongelig lakaj med to tomme bakker 1807

This is a watercolour and gouache on paper made by Johannes Senn, now at the Statens Museum for Kunst. The composition is dominated by the figure of a royal lackey, rendered in a palette of cream, pink, and gold against a stark white background. The lackey’s bright attire commands attention, but there is also a curious absence – the two empty trays, one held and one tucked under his arm. These objects destabilize established meanings. They signify service, yet the emptiness challenges the conventional understanding of the role. The flatness of the rendering and Senn’s meticulous attention to detail flattens the figure, reducing it to a set of highly stylized forms. The image can be read as a commentary on representation and the semiotic structures of courtly life. The lackey himself becomes a signifier, a surface devoid of content, embodying the performative aspects of power and the cultural codes of the time. This work engages with new ways of thinking about representation, suggesting that identity is constructed through external markers and social rituals.