Selvportræt som ung 1763 - 1766

This is a self-portrait made by Jens Juel, at an unknown date, using graphite on paper. Juel lived during the 18th century, a time of great social change and artistic development. As a portrait painter, he moved between the intimate sphere of personal representation and the public world of status and patronage. In this self-portrait we see Juel as a young man, his gaze direct and perhaps a little challenging. His soft cap and loosely tied scarf suggest a certain informality, yet the careful rendering of his features hints at the self-awareness of an artist conscious of his own image and place. The subtlety of the graphite allows Juel to capture a sense of immediacy. Is he inviting us into his confidence, or is he reminding us of the distance between the artist and his audience? Either way, this portrait speaks to the complex dynamics of identity and representation that Juel would continue to explore throughout his career.