Peter Thonning 1841

Curator: Before us, we have Emil Bærentzen's 1841 lithograph, "Peter Thonning," currently residing at the SMK in Copenhagen. Editor: The mood is immediately striking; so contained, self-assured, and undeniably, almost rigidly, bourgeois. Curator: Bærentzen's use of lithography creates remarkably subtle gradations of tone. Notice the sophisticated modulation of light across Thonning’s face, rendered through dense networks of hatching. Also, examine the chair and suit, so detailed that it seems more real than painting alone might allow. Editor: Lithography, of course, was the perfect medium for capturing and disseminating images of power at the time. Who was Peter Thonning and how does this portrait operate within that context of colonial authority? Curator: Thonning was a Danish botanist and physician. He was involved with explorations in West Africa, appointed by the Danish government. Editor: This adds a crucial layer. Suddenly, the assuredness feels… different. The portrait doesn't merely depict an individual; it enshrines the kind of "discoverer" who actively participated in colonial extraction and whose name we likely only remember due to this involvement. The controlled composure almost reads as a performance—a deliberate projection of power. How can we understand the ethics of celebrating an artwork like this without acknowledging its complex, potentially harmful, legacy? Curator: Well, his name remains in botany, with various plants named Thonningii in his honour. The visual clarity and detail here do provide insight into the way someone like this wished to be seen and, perhaps, saw himself. This meticulous and well executed portrait is a statement on order. Editor: Indeed. Bærentzen’s craftsmanship makes this image compelling and troubling. Art doesn't exist in a vacuum, does it? Thank you. Curator: A fine argument. A balance indeed. Thank you as well.