Konsistorialråd J. Ernst Wegener 1834

Constantin Hansen’s portrait of J. Ernst Wegener is made with oil paints, applied to a woven canvas support. This was standard practice for portraiture at the time, but it’s worth considering just how labor-intensive this process was. Think of the preparation involved: harvesting and processing flax for the canvas, grinding pigments from minerals and plants, mixing them with oil, and stretching the canvas over a wooden frame. The artist then painstakingly built up layers of paint to create the likeness of Wegener. The smooth surface belies the work involved, yet it's clear Hansen was a skilled craftsman, able to create a convincing illusion of reality. He was working in a context that valued this kind of meticulous realism, a far cry from the gestural freedom we often associate with modern painting. Looking at this portrait, we can appreciate not only Hansen's artistic ability, but also the immense amount of labor, and the traditional craft practices that went into creating it. This reminds us that even seemingly straightforward paintings have deep connections to materials, making, and social context.