Carl Wendt 1786 - 1856

This is a portrait of Carl Wendt, made with an engraving by Wilhelm Heuer, a 19th-century Danish artist. Looking at this image, one is reminded of the way portraiture served a crucial function in the social and political life of 19th-century Europe. It’s hard to say exactly when it was made, but the subject’s powdered wig and severe Neoclassical profile gesture towards an earlier era when powerful men were often depicted in this way to convey an image of authority. Heuer was trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, which played a key role in shaping artistic styles in Denmark at the time. The Denmark of Heuer’s time was undergoing significant social and political changes. How do portraits like this one reflect or challenge the social norms of their time? To answer this, we might look at the archives of the Royal Danish Academy and study the history of Danish fashion. The meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context, and our understanding grows deeper with continued research.