Vignet til Kongeloven 1726 - 1757

Curator: This print is entitled "Vignet til Kongeloven," an engraving likely created between 1726 and 1757. The artist credited is Odvardt Helmoldt de Lode, and the work resides here at the SMK, the Statens Museum for Kunst. Editor: Oh, heavens, talk about a visual feast! It’s a bit chaotic, but wonderfully so. All these plump cherubs floating around, like some baroque daydream. And the clouds! They look almost edible. Curator: Edible clouds. Right. Well, let's unpack that a little. What you are perceiving reflects the allegorical nature of the image, very typical of the period, of course. Note the symbolic elements: the figure personifying perhaps Denmark seated among clouds and objects representing law and governance. Editor: Ah, so it's serious business cleverly disguised. It really does smack of power, of that glorious era when Kings were ordained by God. The armor dumped to the side looks both antiquated and powerful. Makes one wonder, does'nt it? How much of our society and culture do we prop on myth, and how much of that foundation will hold in the future? Curator: You're touching on an essential point about Baroque art – its connection to power, especially royal authority. The Kongeloven, the King’s Law, was a foundational document, codifying absolute monarchy in Denmark-Norway. This print likely served as an embellishment for that text, reinforcing its ideological weight through visual means. It also serves a public facing goal to establish absolute Monarchy in the minds of common viewers. Editor: Exactly. I almost get whiplash from the grand pronouncements like ‘God’s grace,' when images of crowns and cherubs. Then the cold weight of a metal cuirass. Power! Still, one gets the impression the artist had some fun. Those cheeky cherubs seem about ready for an after work party. Curator: Well, fun or not, the artist's task here was ultimately to lend prestige to the ruling power through symbolism that would appeal to the sentiments of the time. Think about the cultural landscape it's produced from. Editor: Which does make you wonder… how might those cherubs react to our era? Curator: An interesting question. Food for thought indeed. Editor: Exactly, now that's a work of art, prompting more art and even more thoughts!