Chr. Colbiørnsen 1805 - 1806

J.F. Clemens created this portrait of Chr. Colbiørnsen with engraving, drypoint, and etching. It's held at the Statens Museum for Kunst. Clemens's print likely dates from the late 18th or early 19th century, a time when Denmark, like other European nations, was deeply invested in projecting images of power and authority through portraiture. Colbiørnsen's attire, complete with decorations, signals his status. The institutional histories of both the military and the emerging state bureaucracy are relevant here. The military offered a path to social mobility, and the state required a loyal cadre of administrators. Such images were carefully controlled and disseminated, shaping public perception and reinforcing social hierarchies. The art academy, for instance, played a crucial role in training artists to produce these images according to established conventions. By consulting genealogical records, military archives, and art academy records, we can better understand the complex interplay between art, power, and social identity in this period.