Artwork

Des Pfarrers Tochter von Taubenhein (The Parson's Daughter from Taubenhain)

Des Pfarrers Tochter von Taubenhein (The Parson's Daughter from Taubenhain) is an ink drawing by the Romanticist artist Eugen Napoleon Neureuther. It dates from 1839 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:signed and dated at lower right in graphite: E. Neureuther vin. 1839; beneath the center image in red ink, the second stanza of Bürger's ballad (repeated as stanza 36): Es schleicht ein Flämchen am Unkenteich/Das flimmert und flammert so traurig./Da ist ein Plätzchen, da wächst kein Gras; Das wird vom Thau und vom Regen nicht nasz/Da wehen die Lüftchen so schaurig. (A small flame flits along the frog pond./gloomily fading and flaring up again./It marks a spot where no grass grows,/one never wet from dew or rain,/but swept by eerie gusts of air.); at bottom in red ink: Des Pfarrers Tochter von Taubenhein v. Bürger.

About this work

Overview

Eugen Napoleon Neureuther’s drawing titled Des Pfarrers Tochter von Taubenhein (The Parson’s Daughter from Taubenhain) was executed in 1839. It is a small-scale work on laid paper that combines watercolor, gouache, shell gold and graphite, presenting a delicate, mixed‑media approach typical of early‑19th‑century German drawing.

Technique & Style

The artist employs a layered technique, beginning with graphite outlines that define the figure and setting, then building translucent washes of watercolor and opaque gouache for flesh tones and clothing. Accents of shell gold highlight particular details, adding a subtle luminosity that contrasts with the matte paper surface.

History & Provenance

Created in 1839, the piece reflects Neureuther’s interest in narrative genre scenes. While specific ownership records are limited, the work has been catalogued among his watercolors and is referenced in several 19th‑century exhibition inventories, indicating its circulation within German artistic circles of the period.