J. L. Homann 1811 - 1879

Curator: Welcome. Before us hangs a lithograph print, "J. L. Homann", created sometime between 1811 and 1879, part of the collection at the Statens Museum for Kunst. Editor: It’s struck me right away as something rather… somber. The tones are muted, almost gray, lending it a gravity beyond what I would normally expect of this format. Curator: Portraits like this one served a critical social function. They captured likeness and status and circulated it, contributing to constructing reputation. Who gets their portrait made? Why a lithograph? Editor: Indeed. Lithography democratized portraiture – it was more accessible, a repeatable medium which in turn likely fueled production. Think about the materials at play: the stone, the greasy crayon, the printing press. All speak to reproduction and accessibility. Curator: Exactly. A hand-painted portrait conferred greater status. What message does opting for the print, and thus embracing mechanization of reproduction, send about the sitter? About shifts in class and visibility? Editor: He’s well-dressed, though conservatively, implying perhaps someone of commerce or academic leanings, rather than outright aristocratic pretensions. His steady gaze, too, feels intentionally serious. Curator: Certainly. Print circulated imagery widely. So, its availability says a great deal about the accessibility of information. We can then examine questions of authorship, production and, especially, of reception. This piece offers much to consider about how those intersect in the nineteenth century. Editor: It really prompts a deep consideration of materiality and its influence on the sitter and society in that era. The simple printing makes it feel, in a way, more raw, immediate. Curator: And hopefully prompts listeners to examine who had the resources, and societal power, to disseminate their image and identity in a world of changing values. Editor: Absolutely, a small window into a wider world of labor, image, and cultural production.