Christian VI 1704 - 1765

Curator: Johann Salomon Wahl's "Christian VI," painted sometime between 1704 and 1765 and currently held at the SMK, is quite a commanding oil on canvas portrait, isn't it? Editor: It has an air of studied melancholy about it, doesn't it? The weight of the crown, you can almost feel it in the stillness of his pose, but it seems to almost melt off him like butter, despite the trappings of power that Wahl gives him. Curator: Wahl was very deliberate with the staging of these visual cues of authority and privilege in this portrait, typical of the Baroque style, you know. We see Christian VI in armour, though partially obscured by his robes. The inclusion of those royal objects nearby isn’t incidental, I’m sure. Editor: True, I notice that while everything feels meticulously rendered, there is almost a softening edge, as if the artist tried to subtly obscure all those weighty accessories; it seems he wanted to try and communicate something else in this artwork. And why give us that watery dreamscape far away? It feels almost apologetic, that he cannot escape what is outside those curtains, beyond his reign. Curator: Well, perhaps it's an acknowledgment of the king’s historical context. There were struggles in that time, labor unrest, religious tensions, and certainly, any depiction of power, however refined, should make us question the mechanics behind the visual messaging. Editor: Of course, but maybe Wahl was aiming to get under the armour. It makes me wonder about his personal experience; how did *he* actually perceive what he was portraying? It is this push-pull effect that keeps you interested! Curator: I agree there’s complexity. We might assume it's pure political symbolism, but the way Wahl has worked the materiality of the paint and the staging adds intrigue. There's something else under the pomp. Editor: Absolutely. It is more than the kingly costume parade we expect from paintings of the time. It is definitely stuck in my brain now! Curator: Indeed. Wahl gives us a portrait of a man positioned at a very distinct point in history, and in paint handling, reveals much more of the humanity of the king.