Forarbejde til tre af hovederne til stikket: Frederik d. Store rider hjem efter en revy ved Potsdam 1788

Curator: Here we have J.F. Clemens’s "Forarbejde til tre af hovederne til stikket: Frederik d. Store rider hjem efter en revy ved Potsdam," created around 1788. It's currently part of the collection at the SMK, Statens Museum for Kunst. Editor: The thing that really strikes me first is how stark this preparatory drawing feels – it’s all rough lines and furious hatching! Almost like he was in a hurry to capture these stern expressions. Curator: This piece provides a peek into the labor-intensive process behind printmaking. Notice the focus isn't on the grand narrative, but on these isolated heads; he’s dissecting and perfecting the components. Editor: They look rather serious fellows. And the scale of their hats! I’d be curious to know, how did such flamboyant headgear even become the norm in royal processions? The hats alone are half the statement here. Curator: Indeed, those towering hats symbolize power and status, crucial visual cues in Neoclassical art where representing authority was paramount. Clemens used pencil to really achieve this. The quick, repeated pencil strokes become representative of the subject, Frederick the Great, who was obsessive over discipline and labor in all Prussian industries. Editor: Do you think focusing on a singular element shifts how we view the final engraving it prepared for? Curator: Absolutely! This concentrated study lets us examine the propaganda mechanisms at play. By highlighting specific details like the hat—the social signals that were used to reinforce royal power through clothing. We are less involved with narrative; instead, we're acutely aware of production, craft, and those signifiers. Editor: So fascinating how much detail and information can be gathered through something as small as headgear. Thanks for pointing that out! Curator: My pleasure, reflecting on it has given me much to think about also.