Gruppebillede af kunstnerens børn 1760 - 1802

Jens Juel captured this intimate grouping of his children with oil on canvas, sometime in the late 18th century. Juel was one of Denmark's leading portrait painters; he straddled the social world of the bourgeois and the aristocracy. This painting offers a glimpse into the lives of children during that period. The subjects are rendered with a delicate touch; their youthful innocence is emphasized by the soft lighting and gentle expressions. The little boy, perhaps caught mid-action, seems to offer fruit from a basket, while the girls stand slightly behind him. The image raises questions about gender roles within the family; the girls adopt a more passive stance compared to their brother. Juel seems to capture both a personal family moment and the broader societal expectations placed upon children of different genders during the Enlightenment. The emotional resonance of this painting lies in its quiet depiction of childhood.