Ole Hagensted 1842

This is "Ole Hagensted," a print made in the 19th century by an artist with the initials C.H. It’s fascinating to consider the labor involved in creating this image. The printmaking process, most likely etching or engraving, demanded skilled hands to transfer the image onto the metal plate. It's a medium that can be reproduced, in contrast to a painting. The lines are so thin and precise, the portrait must have taken the artist a very long time to complete. Looking at the subject, we see Ole Poulsen Haagenstad, a Norwegian farmer and representative, according to the inscription. The print becomes a tool for disseminating his image, a means of political communication. The very act of reproducing and circulating Haagenstad's likeness speaks to the burgeoning public sphere of the 19th century. It's a portrait of a politician, but also an artifact of a changing society, where images could be mass-produced and distributed.