Karen Knudsen 1767 - 1824

Andreas Flint created this engraving of Karen Knudsen, a tiny window into late 18th-century Denmark. The print reflects the period's fascination with portraiture and the emerging ideals of bourgeois identity. Knudsen, adorned with a turban, complicates the clean narrative of European identity. Turbans in European portraiture often signaled an engagement with the exotic ‘Orient,’ reflecting both colonial desires and anxieties. Here, the turban may speak to Knudsen’s social aspirations, or perhaps Flint’s artistic license. What did it mean for Knudsen to present herself, or to be presented, in this manner? Was it a marker of worldly experience, or a costume donned for the sake of fashion? Ultimately, this intimate portrait invites us to consider the complexities of identity construction.