Hans Løvenhjelm & co. 1779 - 1781

Curator: This engraving, "Hans Løvenhjelm & co.", was created between 1779 and 1781 by J.F. Clemens. Its cool precision feels immediately striking. What do you make of it? Editor: It has the gravity of a cenotaph. Even rendered in such a light, almost delicate hand, that columnar form feels immensely monumental and freighted with significance. Curator: Yes, observe how Clemens meticulously renders each line of the fluted column, giving it a solid, almost architectural presence, in keeping with Neoclassical principles of order and clarity. The eye moves effortlessly up along its unwavering verticality. Editor: Exactly, and that dedication to verticality reinforces my initial impression. Columns, obelisks, and even lone standing stones… they all possess this innate power, don't they? Erected, literally and figuratively, as potent symbols of memory and presence. It bears those names on top... Hans Løvenhjelm, Hwilh Meerheim, and Schwane Wedel. Who were they? Curator: Perhaps significant patrons, or figures somehow memorialized by the monument represented here. Note the ambiguity—it stands as both pure form and, simultaneously, symbolic representation. The print straddles the line between design study and commemorative artwork. Editor: It's fascinating how the image operates on multiple levels, offering a window into the period's aesthetic preferences while simultaneously prompting a more profound, even philosophical contemplation on enduring cultural memory. You almost feel the need to research the stories connected with the names etched onto it. Curator: I agree. It is this confluence of aesthetics and meaning that draws me in—an invitation, almost, to participate in constructing the significance of the piece ourselves. Editor: Precisely. Clemens offers an intriguing visual problem rather than a resolved image. It provokes a contemplation on remembrance itself. A lovely discovery.