Skuespillerinden Mme. Frydendahl, født Møller. Profil mod venstre 1781

Jens Juel made this drawing of the actress Madame Frydendahl using graphite on paper. Graphite, essentially pencil lead, is a relatively humble material, yet capable of great subtlety in the hands of a skilled artist. Look closely at the gradations of tone, the artist's control over the pressure of the pencil, and the way it brings Frydendahl's features to life. However, what I find particularly intriguing is the subject's elaborate hairstyle, which is skillfully drawn with a delicate touch, yet speaks volumes about the social context in which she lived. The towering coiffure would have required hours of work by a skilled hairdresser, a clear display of wealth and status. Consider all that went into it – the labor, the materials, the sheer artifice. In the end, this drawing is not just a portrait, but a window into the world of 18th-century Denmark, where appearances mattered, and even a simple pencil sketch could reveal complex social dynamics.