Jens Simmelkær Asmussen og Katrine Asmussen som børn 1867

Constantin Hansen made this oil on canvas portrait of Jens Simmelkær Asmussen and Katrine Asmussen, as children, at an unknown date. The controlled composition and muted color palette evoke the sobriety of the Danish Golden Age. Hansen was trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, an institution that strongly promoted Neoclassical ideals. Here we see the young Asmussen children depicted with a certain restraint, a composed formality. It might be interesting to think about the place of children in 19th-century Danish society. Were they seen as miniature adults, and was it considered important to instill in them a sense of order and decorum? How might this image have functioned within the Asmussen family home? Was it intended as a celebration of lineage, or perhaps as a reminder of the family's social standing? By researching the Asmussen family and the cultural norms of the time, we might gain a deeper appreciation for the role that art played in shaping social identities and upholding institutional values.