Count Johan Henrik Knuth Knuthenborg, Privy Councillor, Prefect 1790 - 1795

Editor: This is a rather diminutive portrait – itty bitty even! – of Count Johan Henrik Knuth Knuthenborg by Cornelius Høyer, rendered in pencil on ivory, sometime between 1790 and 1795. It's currently part of the SMK collection. Its miniature scale and monochromatic palette give it a hushed, almost ghostly quality. What stands out to you when you look at this piece? Curator: Well, it whispers tales of powdered wigs and aristocratic profiles! But beyond the surface, I see the careful hand of Høyer trying to capture not just the likeness, but perhaps a glimpse of the man himself. Do you see the slightly pursed lips, the knowing glint (or what *might* be a glint, given the limitations of pencil on ivory!) in his eye? Editor: Yes! There's a definite air of self-importance. That little ribbon, that strong nose, the precise tailoring. How much do you think the Neoclassical style influences the reading of this artwork? Curator: Hugely! Neoclassicism loved clean lines and order. It sought to ennoble the subject. Höyer does that here, stripping away any extraneous details and presenting us with an image of restrained power. I think also of these miniature portraits as sentimental keepsakes – little mementos of affection or respect exchanged among elites. Can you imagine carrying that around with you? A miniature Counsellor staring out from your pocket. Editor: Absolutely! Like a really fancy, 18th-century phone photo! I hadn't thought of the intimate context – a tangible link to someone important. Now I see it less as a stern portrait and more as a whisper of connection across time. Curator: Exactly! It's a portal! Art isn't a passive activity; artworks such as these become deeply imbued by their viewers’ histories and perspectives. What have we decided here – stern man or sentimental keepsake? What could that say about us as art lookers? Food for thought!