Christen, Otto og Mogens Skeel 1703 - 1757

Editor: Looking at this, I can't help but think of elaborate pastries, all scrolls and delicate frostwork. It’s intensely decorative! Curator: You’ve picked up on the essence of Baroque ornamentation! This is an engraving of Peter Tordenskjold, a celebrated Dano-Norwegian naval hero. It dates to sometime between 1703 and 1757 and was produced by Johann Christoph Sysang. Editor: “Naval hero,” you say. It certainly seems the image projects status and authority, but with such a frilly frame! Does it almost undermine the… masculinity of it all? Curator: Not at all. Consider that such formal portraiture was a carefully constructed visual language of power. The frame isn't just decorative. See the naval battle playing out in miniature behind Tordenskjold’s head? And the heraldic crest below? These elements work together to construct his public persona. The institution needed imagery as propaganda. Editor: Propaganda! Such a loaded word. Curator: Well, image management, if you prefer! Prints like this were easily reproduced and widely distributed, shaping public opinion and solidifying Tordenskjold’s legacy as a national hero, and the institution and Sysang knew exactly that when they made it. It's political imagery through and through. Editor: So the very medium—printmaking—was crucial to his celebrity. Amazing! All those lines… the detail must have been painstaking. Curator: Exactly. Sysang uses the medium brilliantly, creating different textures and tones through fine lines. It's so skilled, that although printed, it almost resembles a detailed drawing, don’t you agree? Editor: Yes! I see the way that detail reflects and amplifies status... A celebration of this heroic figure... Now it’s less pastry and more… exquisitely rendered armor. Curator: An interesting reframing indeed! The magic of art, and perspective I think. Editor: Yes indeed. It’s nice to delve into how societal functions such as printmaking influence and inform these artifacts. Thank you.