Portrait of Louisa Frederika Pauli, nee Wertmüller c. 18th century

Curator: This is Adolf Ulric Wertmüller’s portrait of Louisa Frederika Pauli, née Wertmüller. It measures just over 22 centimeters in height. Editor: It’s a strikingly intimate portrayal. The soft graphite lends a gentleness to her features, almost like a memory captured on paper. Curator: The profile view was a popular choice in portraiture, especially during the Enlightenment. It allowed for a focus on physiognomy, then seen as a signifier of character. Editor: And look at her elaborate hairstyle! It speaks volumes about the social expectations placed on women of her station, the performance of beauty as a public duty. Curator: Indeed, the curls and the drape of her clothing become symbolic of status and perhaps even aspiration. Editor: Seeing it now, I feel that these images reveal a lot about the construction of identity in the past. Curator: A brief glimpse into a world both familiar and distant.