Viggo Johansen 1887

This is Peder Severin Krøyer’s portrait of Viggo Johansen, captured in oil with a direct gaze and a strong profile. The profile portrait, an ancient motif, speaks volumes. We see it echoed through millennia, from Roman emperors on coins to Renaissance nobility in profile. The very act of turning the face to the side can speak volumes. In ancient times, it was a signifier of status, power, and authority. What does it signify here? A sense of introspection perhaps, or a deliberate distance from the viewer? Notice how Krøyer renders Johansen's face, bathed in light, while the cap casts a shadow, obscuring the intellect behind a dark veil. This interplay of light and shadow creates a psychological depth, stirring something primal within us. The profile is not just a physical representation, but a symbolic echo, an endless return of the human image. It is a powerful reminder of how we continue to reinvent the past in our present.