Artwork

Countess Anna Joachima Danneskiold-Laurvigen, née Ahlefeldt

Countess Anna Joachima Danneskiold-Laurvigen, née Ahlefeldt is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Jens Juel. It dates from 1796 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The composition focuses on the individual identity of the countess, capturing her likeness within the context of late 18th-century aristocratic portraiture.

The work is a portrait depicting Countess Anna Joachimine Ahlefeldt, also known as Countess Anna Joachima Danneskiold-Laurvigen. Created by Jens Juel in 1790, the painting presents the subject alongside a window and dressed in attire befitting her noble status. The composition focuses on the individual identity of the countess, capturing her likeness within the context of late 18th-century aristocratic portraiture.

As a genre painting, the primary meaning lies in the representation of the sitter herself rather than an allegorical narrative, serving as a visual record of her appearance and social standing during that period.

Technique & Style

The portrait was executed in oil paint on canvas in 1790. It measures 149.5 cm in height and 120 cm in width. The work is classified as a painting and belongs to the portrait genre.

It depicts the sitter in a dress with a window in the background, as recorded in the catalog. The piece is held in the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst. The painting was included in the exhibition “Fire danske klassikere”.

History & Provenance

The portrait of Countess Anna Joachima Danneskiold‑Laurvigen was executed in 1790 by Jens Juel as a private commission for the sitter’s family. Painted in oil on canvas, the work measures 149.5 cm by 120 cm and depicts the countess in a window setting. Following its creation the painting remained in the family until it was acquired by the national collection, entering the holdings of Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is presently conserved.

The portrait was later featured in the exhibition “Fire danske klassikere”, underscoring its significance within Danish artistic heritage.

The portrait is held by the Statens Museum for Kunst in Denmark, which is also listed as its collection. According to the Wikidata record, the painting has been included in the exhibition "Fire danske klassikere: Nicolai Abildgaard, Jens Juel, Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg og Bertel Thorvaldsen," a survey of four Danish classicists.

No specific inventory or accession number is provided in the available sources.

Context

The portrait of Countess Anna Joachima Danneskiold-Laurvigen, born Ahlefeldt, was executed in oil on canvas in 1790 by Jens Juel. It measures 149.5 cm × 120 cm and belongs to the portrait genre.

The work is housed in the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it has been displayed in the exhibition "Fire danske klassikere", underscoring its status within the Danish neoclassical tradition. Scholars consider Juel’s portraits a synthesis of aristocratic elegance and emerging national identity, positioning this piece at the apex of his early career.

Overview

Jens Juel’s 1796 oil portrait presents Countess Anna Joachima Danneskiold‑Laurvigen, born Ahlefeldt, seated beside a window. Rendered in the late Rococo idiom, the work captures the aristocrat in a dignified pose, her gaze directed forward, while a modest interior setting frames her figure.

Portræt af hertuginde Antoinette Amalie af Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel, Carl Gustaf Pilo

Artist & collection

Artist

Jens Juel

Jens Juel (12 May 1745 – 27 December 1802) was a Danish painter, primarily known for his many portraits, of which the largest collection is on display at Frederiksborg Castle.