Bagermester B. 1899

Curator: Here we have Poul S. Christiansen’s 1899 pencil drawing, “Bagermester B.”, part of the collection at the SMK, Statens Museum for Kunst. It appears to be a portrait of a baker. What is your initial impression? Editor: It strikes me as an understated yet commanding portrayal. The light and shadow create a sense of gravitas around his figure, even though it's a humble pencil drawing. His gaze holds a lot of power, considering it’s an unfinished study, almost. Curator: Precisely! Considering the period, late 19th century, it is easy to view such a drawing in relation to academic artistic traditions and portraiture’s role in defining societal status. Editor: True. There is an undeniable connection to its historical context in visualizing the rising merchant and trade classes of the time. I see it as a negotiation of power, rendered visible. The “Bagermester” becomes a subject worthy of aesthetic attention. It acknowledges and possibly even interrogates the shifting power structures of the era. Curator: And in terms of the more direct history, academic artistic practice frequently involved portraiture study and practice to become a proficient and celebrated artist. The drawing then operates as a document of training and visual experimentation in the artist’s career. Editor: But doesn’t the title also create some distance? Bagermester B., he is anonymized. He becomes more a representative of a profession than an individual. His particular identity, somewhat shrouded, transforms this portrait into a study about class, labor and even gender, doesn’t it? Was he being represented for his own identity or as a mere representative of labour? Curator: Anonymity allows the drawing to function on a multitude of levels— a portrait but also something of a symbol. It points to interesting discourses circulating in society during the artist’s time and perhaps influencing Christiansen’s own perspective and method. Editor: Well, Poul S. Christiansen gives us a rich tableau to consider about both artistic methodology and the state of a changing European society. Curator: It's a compelling glimpse into artistic training, while simultaneously being revealing in social implications and cultural norms during that era.