In the large-scale life-size portrait “Goethe in the Roman Campagna,” German artist Johann Tischbein (1751-1829) shows his admiration of the famous German poet Johann Wolfgang Goethe.
Description of the Painting
Goethe, wearing a wide-rimmed gray hat and timeless white cloak, lies back on a stone wall with one foot resting on the ground. He appears to be relaxing in a half-seated, half-recumbent pose, taking a break from his walking tour of Italy. Faintly dotting the landscape in the background are Italian scenery and Roman antiquity. The area was familiar to the poet Goethe from his walking tours along places like the ancient Via Appia Antica with the artist Tischbein.
Later, this painting catapulted Tischbein to fame as Goethe and other figures like him, such as poet Friedrich von Schiller and literary critic Johann Gottfried Herder, became status symbols for a rebirth of Germany’s art and culture. Indeed, the contributions of these men to the fields of philosophy, science, art and literature are now known as the cultural movement “Weimar Classicism.”
Goethe’s Influence
Goethe (1749-1832) is a major German figure whose intellectual pursuits spanned poetry, literature, drama, philosophy, and science. He is especially noted for his tragic play Faust – one of the greatest works of German literature. He originated the concept of “world literature” due to his fascination with literature of such cultures as that of England, Italy, France, Greece, Persia, and the Arab world.
The ideas he presented in his scientific text, Theory of Colours, were expanded on by 19th-century naturalists like Charles Darwin. He was a huge inspiration in the realms of music, poetry, and philosophy; he is considered the most important writer in the German language and one of the greatest thinkers in the western culture.
The Meaning of the Roman Campagna
According to author R. Hagen, the painting was executed during a time of unrest in Goethe’s life. He had been deeply attached to Frau Charlotte von Stein, writing her passionate notes every day. For twelve years they met daily. She evidently coached Goethe in the unwritten rules of court and of love and she is reputed to have had a strong influence on his work. But their love was never physically fulfilled.
At this time Goethe served as minister to the Duke of Weimar. But he left both his job and his friend Charlotte suddenly, without asking for leave or requesting a vacation, and he took off for Italy.
He stayed in Tischbein’s rooms, assuming a pseudonym and attempting to remain out of the public eye. Later when he wrote his memoir, Italian Journey, he described the 20 months he spent in Italy as a time of personal transformation.
The artist Tischbein and writer Goethe traveled together in Italy for only a few months. Evidently the two men could bear one another’s company for only short periods. Experts say Tischbein was not able to convey in his paintings the same qualities of immediacy and warmth that are evident in his sketches; this must have been extremely frustrating for him. On the other hand, Goethe was a larger-than-life figure who did not rein in his abilities or genius. Their differences tore the two men apart.
However, none of this unrest is apparent in this rendition of Goethe.
The Painting
“Goethe in the Roman Campagna” (1786-87) was begun during a time of friendship between the two men Goethe and Tischbein; however, Goethe never saw the painting completed.
The painting was sold one hundred years later to the museum Städel, officially known as Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie, in Frankfurt. This was at the height of Goethe’s popularity as a symbol of the German high life of knowledge, art, and culture. Viewers can visit “Goethe in the Roman Campagna” at Stadel today.
Source:
- Hagen, Rose-Marie & Rainer. What Great Paintings Say: Old Masters in Detail. Cologne: Benedikt Tasche, 2000.
Suzanne Hill - Suzanne Moniea Hill studied art history and studio art and has been passionate about art all her life. She believes that people should ...
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