Model siddende, med hovedet og armene støttet på puder; ikke tegnet færdig 1745 - 1802

Editor: So, this is Jens Juel's "Model siddende, med hovedet og armene st\u00f8ttet p\u00e5 puder; ikke tegnet f\u00e6rdig," a pencil drawing from sometime between 1745 and 1802. It feels so...unfinished, raw, you know? Like a glimpse into the artist's process. What do you see in this piece, beyond just a study of the human form? Curator: Beyond the surface, I see a dialogue with the artistic conventions of its time. The academic style places it firmly within a historical context shaped by power dynamics and gendered gazes. While it appears to be a simple nude study, consider who had the power to depict whom, and for what purpose, at that moment in history. Who gets to occupy space, literally and representationally? Editor: That's interesting. So, it's not just about the artistic skill, but also about the social context in which it was created? I hadn't considered the power dynamics at play in a drawing like this. Curator: Exactly! Think about the male gaze inherent in such a study, particularly when the model is nude. Consider this work in relation to feminist theory. How might we understand the agency, or lack thereof, of the model in this scenario? Does the 'unfinished' nature of the piece offer a space for disrupting those power dynamics? Editor: I guess seeing it that way makes me think about the power of representation. Whose stories are told, and how are they being told? Does this drawing, being unfinished, challenge those narratives somehow? Curator: Precisely! Perhaps its incompleteness disrupts the objectification we might expect, inviting us to question the artist’s role, and even our own gaze as viewers. Thinking intersectionally, what aspects of identity and power do you think are at play in other works by this artist, or others of the period? Editor: I’m beginning to see how even a simple drawing can open up broader conversations about society and power. Curator: And how critical engagement with the art of the past can illuminate present-day concerns with representation and agency. Editor: This really gives me a lot to think about for my paper!