Profilbillede af kunstnerens anden hustru, siddende i lænestol, frugtsommelig 1803 - 1809

Editor: This is Nicolai Abildgaard’s "Profile Portrait of the Artist's Second Wife, Seated in an Armchair, Expecting," created between 1803 and 1809. It's a drawing with such a delicate touch; it captures her in a quiet moment. What symbols or meanings do you see conveyed in this portrayal? Curator: Well, pregnancy itself is a potent symbol: potential, future, and generational continuation all wrapped into one. Abildgaard highlights this in his delicate treatment of her form. Consider the soft drapery; it both conceals and reveals, hinting at the mysteries of creation. There's an emotional weight, wouldn't you say, in her downward gaze? Perhaps a meditation on motherhood itself? Editor: Yes, I see that. Her bowed head and clasped hands suggest a certain introspection. But why present her in profile? Does that choice carry symbolic weight, too? Curator: Absolutely. The profile is often associated with classical representations, lending the sitter a sense of timelessness. Think of Roman emperors on coins. However, it also creates a certain distance; we are observing her, but she is not engaging directly with us. It allows her privacy even in depiction, don’t you think? It also aligns perfectly with the ideals of Romanticism that prioritized emotional depth and a certain melancholy. Editor: So, the profile is both a link to tradition and a signifier of inner thought. I hadn’t considered that duality. Curator: Precisely. Artists often use symbols unconsciously as cultural languages, drawing on art history while imbuing them with new meanings for their time. The armchair itself becomes an emblem of domesticity and the female role in society. Editor: It's interesting how one image can be interpreted through so many different lenses—historical, personal, cultural… Thank you for unlocking so many insights into the symbolic power within Abildgaard’s portrait. Curator: My pleasure! Recognizing the layers of meaning transforms viewing from mere observation to a kind of empathetic participation across time.