Herrevest i silke, studie til portrættet af Jean-Alphonse Turrettini 1777

Curator: Here we have a drawing from 1777 by Jens Juel entitled, "Waistcoat in Silk, Study for the Portrait of Jean-Alphonse Turrettini," housed right here at the SMK. Editor: My first impression is delicacy; it feels light, like something barely there. The pale lines on that cool blue paper. It’s just… whispery. Curator: Indeed. It’s quite compelling. And consider that a silk waistcoat like this wasn't just clothing. It was a significant marker of social status, signifying wealth, class, and participation in global trade networks. Editor: It speaks to the construction of identity then, very literally, through textiles. Who Turrettini *was*, at least publicly, was tied up with access to and display of this kind of material wealth. And thinking of silk in particular, with all of its colonial and industrial production, what labor went into it? Curator: Absolutely. We can also read into the skill involved in creating the drawing itself. Juel's delicate lines hint at the fineness of the silk, its sheen, and its drape. Look closely – you can almost feel the fabric. And let’s not forget the artist’s labour – both intellectual and manual – of representing silk. Editor: Yes, seeing it as a material, as an element with its own agency is crucial, but also let us not disregard the class dynamics at work: Turrettini commissioned this study. And Jens Juel's expertise translated into social currency in his own right, a point of access into elite circles. Curator: The choice to portray just the waistcoat—devoid of a body, makes it even more striking. It pushes us to focus on the artistry inherent in rendering texture, form, and light. This rendering elevates it from being just a garment. Editor: It is interesting that in our time the finished painting—the actual portrait is more valued. While I recognize and celebrate the process of material labor in sketch as much as in the rendering, there’s a tension in privileging this waistcoat above other, often unseen and equally skilled makers in different mediums. Curator: I agree! Understanding those tensions certainly gives us a much richer, multifaceted engagement with Juel’s preparatory drawing. Editor: Precisely! This artwork isn't merely an aesthetic exercise; it's deeply entwined with histories of labor, value, and identity.