Portret van Lodewijk Napoleon, koning van Holland 1806 - 1810

Editor: This is Charles Howard Hodges' portrait of Lodewijk Napoleon, King of Holland, made sometime between 1806 and 1810. It looks like a charcoal drawing, very regal and proper. What stands out to you in terms of the work's context and creation? Curator: I see a portrait of power carefully constructed. Consider the materials: charcoal, readily available, relatively inexpensive. Yet, through skilled labor, Hodges transforms this humble material into a representation of royalty. How does the contrast between material and subject impact its reception? Editor: That’s a great point. So the choice of charcoal, being a common material, adds another layer to its meaning, in contrast to the royal subject? Curator: Precisely. It prompts us to question the production and consumption of imagery around power. Who was this portrait *for*? How does it function within the social economy of image-making at the time? Editor: Hmm, it makes me wonder if Hodges chose charcoal specifically to maybe… humanize the King a little bit? Make him more accessible, even if just visually? Curator: An interesting proposition! Perhaps it was a deliberate attempt to bridge the gap, or maybe a practical consideration within the constraints of his commission and available resources. Does the *act* of using such material, affect its value compared to painting on canvas, for instance? How does that distinction blur or reinforce social boundaries between 'high art' and 'craft'? Editor: It definitely challenges the way we typically think about royal portraits and the materials they're usually made with. I'll never look at a charcoal drawing the same way. Curator: And I hope, will lead you to ask, how social values shape the production of all artwork, at all levels of society.