
Jens Juel – Beneath the Surface
Long before there was a TV program by this name, the Funen-born painter Jens Juel was celebrated as Denmark’s finest portrait artist. In 1780, he was appointed Royal Court Painter, and by the late 1700s, anyone with power and wealth wanted to be painted by Jens Juel. It was a way to show their importance.
Today, 250 years later, the figures in Juel’s portraits still appear vividly alive. Juel had a gift for making everyone look gentle and approachable—almost endearing. With smooth, marzipan-like skin and rosy cheeks, his subjects look as though they’ve been enhanced by a beautifying Instagram filter.
“The skin in Juel’s portraits is painted in a way that appeals to the sense of touch. It’s skin you feel tempted to touch—to press their soft cheeks and glide your hand over their smooth complexion,” says exhibition curator and museum inspector Ellen Egemose.
Juel’s portraits navigate the space between realism and idealization. While his works present idealized versions of reality, they also allow glimpses of the person behind the mask. The exhibition highlights both the materiality and sensuality of Juel’s artistry, as well as what lay beneath the polished exteriors of the wealthy and powerful figures he painted.
There is every reason to take a closer look at Juel and his era. His portraits of royals, aristocrats, revolutionaries, and the nouveau riche offer insights into a dynamic chapter of Denmark’s history—one that explores themes still relevant today.