Profilbillede af kunstnerens anden hustru Juliane Marie Abildgaard f. Ottesen, frugtsommelig, siddende i en lænestol med hagen støttet på hånden og albuen på knæet 1803

Editor: This is Nicolai Abildgaard's "Profile of the Artist’s Second Wife, Juliane Marie Abildgaard, Pregnant, Sitting in an Armchair," created in 1803 using pencil and ink. She looks so contemplative and relaxed, almost melancholic, and I am immediately drawn to her serene pose. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: It’s interesting you mention her serenity. Consider the historical context. Abildgaard, a leading figure of Danish Neoclassicism, creating a quite intimate and informal portrait of his pregnant wife. There's a fascinating tension. Public artistic ideals versus personal life and portrayal. Do you see that at all in the work's composition? Editor: I do now! I guess I was only seeing the Romantic elements of quiet emotion. Is it typical for artists of the time to represent their wives in such an informal state? Curator: Not necessarily, especially artists of Abildgaard's status. Officially commissioned portraits followed convention, but personal works like this could be quite different. This drawing offers insight into the artist’s private life and, more broadly, the evolving role of women and family within society. Think about how public image was carefully constructed back then. This glimpse feels like a small rebellion, doesn’t it? Editor: It does. I had not considered that. A very interesting rebellion, showing how intimate life contrasted with public artistic convention at that time. Thanks, I would've missed that entirely! Curator: Exactly. Thinking about what’s deliberately *not* shown becomes key to understanding its social and historical implications.