Artwork
Bildnis der Emilie Feuerbach
Bildnis der Emilie Feuerbach is an unspecified work on paper by Anselm Feuerbach. It dates from 1852 and is held in the collection of the City Museums Freiburg.
About this work
Overview
The work is a portrait of Emilie Feuerbach, the elder sister of the painter Anselm Feuerbach. Executed in the mid‑19th century, it depicts her seated with a book in her lap, her expression composed and gentle. The composition focuses closely on her face and attire, emphasizing her intellectual and literary pursuits alongside her familial connection to the artist.
Subject & Meaning
Emilie Feuerbach, residing in Heidelberg with her stepmother, the writer Henriette Heydenreich, is shown as a figure of quiet scholarship. Her presence with a book alludes to her own literary activity; she authored a collection of fairy tales published in 1868 and produced gouache paintings featuring floral designs, underscoring a blend of literary and visual creativity.
Technique & Style
The portrait employs a restrained palette and careful modeling to render the sitter’s skin and fabrics with subtle tonal variation. Fine brushwork delineates facial features, while broader strokes suggest the texture of her clothing. The overall style reflects the academic realism of Anselm Feuerbach’s early period, balancing precise observation with a calm, introspective mood.
History & Provenance
Created while Emilie lived in Heidelberg, the painting remained within the Feuerbach family before entering public collections. Documentation records its association with the artist’s personal archive, and it has been exhibited as part of surveys of 19th‑century German portraiture, offering insight into the familial networks that shaped Anselm Feuerbach’s early career.
Artist & collection
Artist
Anselm Feuerbach (12 September 1829 – 4 January 1880) was a German painter. He was the leading neoclassical painter of the German 19th-century school.
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