Professor P.W. Lund 1855 - 1935

Carl Poulsen created this print of Professor P.W. Lund in the 19th century, a time of burgeoning scientific exploration and the establishment of academic authority. Consider how Lund is presented: in profile, bespectacled, seated at a desk with a book. These are all signifiers of intellect and status, carefully constructed to convey authority. As we look closer, we might ask ourselves what this image leaves out. What about the labor that supports such scholarship? What perspectives are not represented? Portraits like this one often served to solidify the positions of those in power, reinforcing existing social hierarchies through careful visual cues. How does this image reflect the values of its time? And what does it tell us about who was considered worthy of representation and remembrance?