Primary sourcePainting1828
Goethe Line Engraving by Radclyffe after Stieler
E. Radclyffe after J. K. Stieler · 1828
An engraving made from Joseph Karl Stieler's famous 1828 portrait of Goethe, created during Goethe's lifetime.
This engraving depicts Goethe in old age, based on a portrait made during his lifetime.
About this source
What it is
This is a black-and-white line engraving showing an older man with curly grey hair in a dark coat, based on a portrait painted by Joseph Karl Stieler. It is held by the Wellcome Collection in London.
Why it matters
The print was made while Goethe was still alive, at the age of 79. It shows how widely his image circulated across Europe, with publishers in London reproducing portraits of him for a general audience.
Look closer
- What does the clothing and pose suggest about how Goethe wanted to be seen?
- Why might a publisher in London want to print and sell an image of a German writer?
- What details are lost when a painting is copied as a black-and-white print?
This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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