Hedevig Margretha Thomsen, f. Jürgensen 1814

Friedrich Carl Gröger painted this oil on canvas portrait of Hedevig Margretha Thomsen, née Jürgensen, at an unknown date. The portrait offers a glimpse into the social conventions and aspirations of the bourgeoisie in Northern Europe. We can assume that the subject belonged to the upper echelons of society because portraits in oil were a preserve of the wealthy. Her clothing reflects the fashion of the time, and her lace bonnet indicates respectability and affluence. Gröger was a sought-after portrait painter in his time. A lot of what we know about artists and patrons of the period has been gleaned from letters, diaries, and financial records, all of which help to reconstruct the complex social and economic networks that supported artistic production. In looking at portraits such as this, the art historian uses the tools of social history to explore the values of a society.