Portræt af Jens Stougaard 1837 - 1874

Anthon Winther created this portrait of Jens Stougaard with engraving. During Winther’s lifetime, in the late 18th and early 19th century, the cultural institutions of Denmark were taking shape and defining themselves. The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, for instance, founded earlier in the 18th century, played a key role in shaping artistic production. Consider the role portraiture played in defining social status. Stougaard wears a coat and tie, a medal and powdered wig - all signifiers of status and success. How did the institutions of art and portraiture reinforce social hierarchies? Was Winther explicitly attempting to reinforce those social hierarchies? Was he critiquing them? Historical records and institutional archives provide further context and clarify the social conditions in which Winther’s art was made. Understanding these influences is essential to understand the broader meaning of the work.