Portrait of Jobst Conrad Hirch Lemmich - Emilius Ditlev Baerentzen

A formal nineteenth-century lithographic portrait of Danish military officer Jobst Conrad Hirch Lemmich by Emilius Ditlev Baerentzen.

This lithographic portrait depicts Jobst Conrad Hirch Lemmich, a Danish military figure, captured during the mid-nineteenth century. Emilius Ditlev Baerentzen, a Danish painter and lithographer, produced this work during a period when lithography became the primary medium for disseminating portraits of public figures and military officers across Europe. The print demonstrates the technical precision characteristic of Baerentzen's firm, E. Baerentzen & Co., which operated in Copenhagen and became known for its high-quality reproduction of portraiture.

The subject is presented in a formal military uniform, complete with epaulettes and medals, reflecting his status and service. The artist employs a soft, vignetted background, which draws the viewer's attention to the subject's facial features and expression. The shading is achieved through fine stippling and cross-hatching, techniques that allow for a smooth transition of tones across the uniform and the subject's face. This method provides a sense of volume and realism, typical of the period's approach to portraiture.

Baerentzen began his career as a painter before transitioning to lithography, a shift that allowed him to reach a wider audience. His work often documented the social and military hierarchy of Denmark during the mid-1800s. The inclusion of the subject's name at the base of the print, along with the publisher's mark, identifies this as a formal commemorative or biographical portrait. The composition is balanced and restrained, focusing on the dignity of the sitter rather than decorative elements. This print offers a clear view of the military fashion and portraiture conventions of the era, providing a record of an individual who served during the mid-nineteenth-century conflicts in the region.