C.W. Eckersberg (1783–1853)
Frederik von Lowzow, 1817
Oil on canvas

The beginning of 1817 was a busy period for C.W. Eckersberg as a portrait painter. He completed a large number of portraits, and his popularity and good reputation is clearly evident from his diary. The list of clients includes members of the royal household, and at the same time several nobles and wealthy citizens ordered single and double portraits. Among the many portraits is this depiction of Frederik von Lowzow (1788–1869), which Eckersberg completed in May 1817. The following month, he also finished a portrait of von Lowzow’s fiancée, Elisabeth Ida Mariane Brockenhuus (6a/1985).

Frederik von Lowzow was about 28 years old when Eckersberg painted this half-length portrait. He is wearing the red uniform of a county governor, the characteristic high collar with gold embroidery emphasizing the prestige of the office he held alongside his title of Chamberlain. Perhaps that is why Eckersberg depicted Frederik von Lowzow with a somewhat serious air, which must have appealed to the client. In addition to serving as county governor and Chamberlain, Frederik von Lowzow would also be able to boast of being Commander of the Dannebrog (1828) and holder of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog (1836). Later in life, he had a distinguished career as, among other things, Justice of the Supreme Court (1843) and Privy Councillor (1845).