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Jens Juel is mostly known for his numerous portraits, many of which can be seen in Frederiksborg Castle in Copenhagen. Juel was an illegitimate child who was brought up by a schoolmaster and lived in Gamborg. He was sent as a teenager to study with the painter Johann Michael Gehrman in Hamburg, where he very early (in his twenties) gained a reputation as a skilled crafstman of portraits and landscapes. He then returned to Copenhagen to attend the Royal Danish Academy of Art as a young man. He later moved to Rome and Paris and Geneva, gaining experience and mingling with well-known painters in these cities. Having established his reputation, he finally returned to establish himself professionally in Copenhagen and became well known for his portraits of Danish royalty, nobility, and other wealthy clients. In 1795 he became the director of The Royal Danish Academy of Art. He painted primarily in the 18th century. A Danish source tells us, "The painter Jens Juel (1745-1802) represents more or less the pinnacle of Danish portraiture in the 1700s, and was the Royal Family�s, the nobility's, and the affluent bourgeoisie�s f�ted portrait painter."
Juel was an illegitimate child who was brought up by a schoolmaster and lived in Gamborg. His artisistic skills were apparaent very early. He was sent as a teenager to study with the painter Johann Michael Gehrman in Hamburg, where he very early (in his twenties) gained a reputation as a skilled craftstman of first portraits and then landscapes as well. His seris of self portraits began at an early age. He then returned to Copenhagen to attend the Royal Danish Academy of Art as a young man. He then began an 8-year odyssey abroad (1772). He spent 4 of those years in Rome, and then traveled to Paris and Geneva. He not only studied the old masters, but gaining experience and new ideas by mingling with well-known painters in these cities. Having honed his skill and earning a reputation, he finally returned to establish himself professionally in Copenhagen. He brought many of the most current threads in art home to somewhat isolated Copenhagen. One of the new ideas was landscape. He painted beautiful, evocative landscapes. It was as a painter of portraits that he primarily focused and is best known. We see elegant composition expressing character. He was strong in draughtsmanship and gave considerable attention to materials and color. His skill was so pronounced that soon after his return to Copenhagen, Juel was appointed court portrait painter. He became well known for his portraits of Danish royalty, nobility, and other wealthy clients. He was appointed a professor at the Danish Academy (1886). He became the director (1795).
Juel is mostly known for his numerous portraits, many of which can be seen in Frederiksborg Castle in Copenhagen. He did an interesting series of self-portrains beginning ay a young age. Most of course are portraits of adults, but we have found a few portraits of Children. In addition to portrits, he was the first Danish rtist to do landscapes. A Danish source tells us, "The painter Jens Juel (1745-1802) represents more or less the pinnacle of Danish portraiture in the 1700s, and was the Royal Family's, the nobility's, and the affluent bourgeoisies féted portrait painter." [Jens Juel]
Here we see Henrik Bruun about 1799-1800. He was the eldest son of Elisabeth Henriette Bruun de Neergaard. We have noy yet found any information about the family. Bruun was a very common name and still is. Neergaard was a town in Denmrk. Many of the individuals were farmers. To have a portrait painted by a master arrtist suggest that Elizabeth and her huband must have been living in comfortable circumtances. This is also suggested by the fashionanle clothes. Henrik wears a striped green top. We are not sure about the bottom, but it may be a skeleton suit. The buttons at the waist certainly look like a skeleton suit. We have not noted a skeleton suit with short sleeves. Dresses had short sleeves, but Henrik's top does not look like a bodice. He has a white open collar with frilly trim. He looks about 3 years old. The artist appears to be was Danish master Jens Juel, painted in his last years. There is, however, some varied attribution.
Juel painted this portrait of a "Running Boy". The portrait was done at the very end of the artist's career and is dated 1802. The subject of the painting is Marcus Pauli Holst von Schmidten, obviously from an aristocratic family. The boy seems to be about 14-15 years old. The painting now hangs in the Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen.
The portrait of von Schmidten illustrates the typical clothing of an aristocratic European boy at the beginning of the 19th century (1802). Marcus wears very tight grey trousers (almost like tights) that have tie closures at the ankles. With these he wears white silk stockings and low-cut shoes resembling slippers. On his upper body he wears a wide collared white shirt with what looks like a jabot (ruffled front), a waistcoat and a form-fitting tail coat. The fashionable dress of the late 18th century is evident in the style of the tail coat and shirt with jabot; but instead of knee breeches (which were still being worn by many gentlemen of the upper classes), he wears tight-fitting ankle-length trousers. Notice also the rather romantic hair style with the hair combed forward almost like bangs.
"Jens Juel," Royal Danish Collection website, Rosenborg.
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