Ungt idealhoved 1726 - 1748

"Ungt idealhoved" is a miniature portrait by Danish artist David Gardelle, completed between 1726 and 1748. The artwork, housed at the SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst, depicts a young woman in profile, her face marked by smallpox scars. This intimate portrayal reflects the realities of 18th-century life, where smallpox was a prevalent and often fatal disease. The delicate brushwork and soft tones of the miniature contrast with the starkness of the subject, highlighting the beauty and resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.