Karl Gustav Klingstedt

Love Scene

The Swedish artist Carl Gustav Klingstedt became specially known for his representations of gallant scenes. In this miniature in grisaille technique he portrayed a gentleman, courting a lady with a posy of flowers. Though her posture still conveys a hesitant aloofness, yet the loosened ribbons of her bodice, her slightly opened mouth and her desiring gaze already send a signal of consent. A second lady stands behind her and is seemingly edging her into the gentleman's arms. Hers is the role of procuress in this scene.

By his clothes and his hair style the gentleman is characterised as a representative of the upper class. He wears a close fitting coat with wide blue cuffs, a powdered wig and a tricorn. He is the dominating figure in this miniature, only to him Klingstedt had accorded a few colourful accents on his sleeves and hat ribbon, thus singling him out of the grey tints of the grisaille painting. The lady, on the other hand, is painted in plain, pastoral clothing, which together with her hairdo and her somewhat naive facial expression points to her lower social standing.

The scene takes place in front of an intimated a park scenery, arising from the erotically charged pastoral idyll, which was very popular in court circles of the 18th century. Courtly life, being rigidly regulated by ceremony and etiquette was contrasted with a stylised nature idyll, a staged illusory world, in which the seduction of a young girl - her apparent reluctance enhancing the thrill of it even more - was a favourite theme.

J.S.O.