Hertug Christian Albrecht af Gottorp som kunstens og videnskabens beskytter 1623 - 1678

Editor: This drawing by Jürgen Ovens, "Hertug Christian Albrecht af Gottorp som kunstens og videnskabens beskytter," from the mid-17th century, depicts a gathering with numerous figures, sketched with a pen and brown ink. The gathering feels… triumphant, yet somewhat chaotic, in its composition. How do you interpret the symbolism at play here? Curator: Indeed, look at how Christian Albrecht is elevated—positioned centrally, emerging, almost literally, from the city, symbolising his governance, protection, but also almost claiming ownership of these domains. And above him? What’s hovering? Editor: A shield with an eagle, surrounded by clouds. Is that an emblem of power? Curator: Precisely! This emblem acts as a visual shorthand for authority. Notice the figures surrounding him, their gestures of offering and praise, particularly with the offering of the goblet? They suggest his role as a benefactor, someone who provides for his people. But there's something unsettling in this sketch's incompleteness… isn't there? A hidden vulnerability maybe. Editor: Now that you mention it, some lines are sketchy, while some areas are more defined, like the Duke's figure and face. Is there a conscious dialogue that emerges between power and vulnerability through its incompletion? Curator: A very astute observation. It presents power not as a static absolute, but something perpetually under construction, constantly defined, debated, even contested. And think about what history painting is often called on to do. What’s being proposed here, and *to whom*? Editor: The drawing really challenges assumptions of power, it’s complex, like the culture from which it originates. Curator: Absolutely. What started as seemingly traditional baroque history painting, becomes an insightful statement on the role of leadership, still echoing through time.