Prokurator og skolemester i Helsingør, Lars Berthelsen 1687

Peder Andersen painted this portrait of Lars Berthelsen in 1687 using oil on canvas. Immediately, one notices the almost monochrome palette, dominated by sombre tones that render the figure in stark relief against the darker background. The meticulous brushwork is evident in the detailed rendering of Berthelsen's features. The formal composition, a study in contrasts, evokes both the material reality and underlying social structures of its time. Berthelsen’s gaze, though direct, possesses a certain detachment that seems to question the viewer’s interpretation. Encoded within this seemingly straightforward depiction are layers of meaning which invite us to dissect conventional notions of portraiture. The inscription included, functions almost as a form of structuralist intervention. It disrupts our understanding of representation by explicitly stating the sitter’s age and profession. The artist challenges fixed notions and engages with new ways of thinking about power.