Udkast til portræt af en herre i ordensdragt. Helfigur 1746 - 1828

C.A. Lorentzen sketched this draft for a portrait of a gentleman in ceremonial robes, using pencil, at an unknown date. Lorentzen lived through a revolutionary period, witnessing shifts in political and social structures that questioned traditional hierarchies. The sketch provides a glimpse into the visual language of power and status of the late 18th and early 19th century. The gentleman's clothing signifies a position of authority and belonging to a certain social class, reflecting the rigid social stratification of the time. Yet, as a sketch, it also hints at the performative nature of identity. The loose lines might suggest the impermanence or the constructedness of such displays of power. Consider how the artist, while working within the conventions of portraiture, also reveals the tensions inherent in representing identity and status during a time of social upheaval. This work allows us to reflect on the emotional weight of societal expectations and the individual's negotiation of their place within the existing order.