Portræt af Maria Magdalene Becker 1689 - 1789

Jens Juel made this pastel portrait of Maria Magdalene Becker in Denmark in the late 18th century. It captures a very particular image of femininity in that period. The delicate rendering, soft colors, and the sitter's demure gaze all speak to the values of sensibility and refinement prized by the Danish upper classes. Juel was the leading portraitist of his day, and his art served to define the visual culture of the Danish elite, a class of landowners and merchants in Copenhagen and other port cities. Although Denmark was neutral during the Napoleonic wars, the late 18th century was a time of immense social change as the ideas of the Enlightenment spread across Europe. This portrait can be interpreted as a statement of stability, reflecting a conservative desire to ignore the calls for reform in France. To understand this portrait better, one could investigate the Becker family, as well as the patronage networks that sustained Juel's career. This kind of social history brings us closer to understanding the role of art in its time.