Portræt af Christian Jacobsen Drakenberg 1741

This is a portrait of Christian Jacobsen Drakenberg, made with oil on canvas by C.G. Pilo sometime in the 18th century. Looking closely, one can see how Pilo built up the image layer by layer, stroke by stroke, a slow accretion of visual information. The very qualities of oil paint—its viscosity and luminosity—are used to great effect, particularly in the beard. Notice how the white pigment seems to glow, giving Drakenberg a palpable presence. Yet, the artist's mastery belies the labor involved. Preparing pigments, priming the canvas, and the sheer number of hours needed for a likeness such as this—it all speaks to the intense work behind the image. It is a mark of how painters in the 1700s elevated their craft to the level of fine art. And portraits like this became a way for the sitter to assert his own status in society. So while we see Drakenberg, we also see the social rituals of art production at play.