The Youth of Friedrich Nietzsche

What it is

This is a French article titled 'La jeunesse de Frédéric Nietzsche', published in 1896. The article's header refers to two books: the first volume of the life of Nietzsche by Mme Foerster-Nietzsche, his sister, and a two-volume edition of Nietzsche's early writings and drafts from 1869 to 1876, published in Leipzig. The author of the article is not named in the record.

The article opens with a long description of a portrait published in the Berlin review Pan, drawn by Kurt Stoving. The author compares the drawing with the work of Holbein and Dürer and says it shows a man in his forties sitting in a garden with his hands folded.

Why it matters

The article shows how Nietzsche's youth was being shared with readers in France while he was still alive. It relies on his sister's account of his early years, which was itself one of the first attempts to tell his life story. Students can see how a family member, a writer and an artist each shaped the public image of the philosopher.

Look closer

• What does the author notice first in the portrait, and what feeling does he say it creates?
• Which sources does the article name, and who wrote or edited them?
• What might this article leave out about Nietzsche's youth, given that it was written in his lifetime?