Portræt af maleren Erik Pauelsen 1774 - 1808

Editor: So, this is Friedrich Ludvig Zuschlag's portrait of the painter Erik Pauelsen, created sometime between 1774 and 1808. It’s made of alabaster. It has such a stark, neoclassical feel about it, so proper. What catches your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: Well, beyond the undeniable craftsmanship – can you imagine trying to carve *that* out of alabaster? – I'm struck by its… coolness, almost. The precision, the unflinching profile. I wonder what Pauelsen himself thought of it. Did he feel properly *seen* or was it too much of a…performance? You know, like being stuck in a perfectly starched collar for eternity. Editor: That's a fun idea! I hadn't really thought about Pauelsen's perspective. It does feel very formal, but maybe that was the point? To immortalize him in a dignified, classical way? Curator: Precisely! Neoclassicism was all about invoking the gravitas and virtue of antiquity. But doesn’t it almost flatten him? Like a butterfly pinned in a display case, beautiful but lifeless? Tell me, do you see any elements of humor in it? It looks quite serious. Editor: Not that I can detect. It looks as if even a smile might break it. But I see what you mean, perhaps something less rigid would be…warmer? Curator: Warmer, exactly! Art is always a product of its time but sometimes you crave a little rebellion against the current. Imagine someone slapping a pair of googly eyes on it! Scandalous, I know. Editor: (laughing) Oh my gosh! I can just see it! Well, this has really changed my perspective. I hadn't really considered the sort of dialogue an artist and their muse might be having even after all these years! Thanks so much. Curator: The pleasure was all mine! Art, after all, is just a fancy mirror reflecting back at us, challenging our perceptions, isn’t it? Now, about those googly eyes…