Maleren Jens Juels søn, Jens 1807

Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg painted this portrait of fellow artist Jens Juel's son, Jens, using oil on canvas sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. The smooth, almost porcelain-like finish of the boy's face is achieved through layers of paint, built up meticulously by the artist. Note the impasto of the ruffled collar, a contrast to the flatness of the face. Eckersberg must have had a clear idea of his finished artwork to decide where he could take a painterly approach and where he needed to build up the image in minute detail. This wasn't an industrial process, but the labour and skill required to create such a lifelike image would have been considerable, and would have contributed to the work's value. The portrait would serve not only as a record of the sitter's appearance, but also as a status symbol, demonstrating the family's wealth and the artist's mastery. The skill involved in painting the work is inextricably linked to its cultural significance.