Who painted Bernhard's Whooping Cough Face?

Bernhard's Whooping Cough Face was painted by Gerhard Wilhelm von Reutern in 1824.

Where can I see Bernhard's Whooping Cough Face?

Bernhard's Whooping Cough Face is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Bernhard's Whooping Cough Face?

Bernhard's Whooping Cough Face is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Bernhard's Whooping Cough Face

Gerhard Wilhelm von Reutern , 1824

Bernhard's Whooping Cough Face is an ink drawing by the Romanticist artist Gerhard Wilhelm von Reutern. It dates from 1824 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:by artist, upper right in pen and gray ink: d 19ten N.U.M./u 22-; by artist, across bottom in pen and gray ink: Bernhards Keuchhustens Gesicht; by unknown hand, upper left verso in graphite: 4; by unknown hand, bottom center verso in graphite: 82

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1824, Bernhard’s Whooping Cough Face is a pen and gray‑ink drawing on wove paper by Gerhard Wilhelm von Reutern, a Baltic‑German officer who later pursued a career in painting.

Subject & Meaning

The work portrays a young child in profile, the head slightly bowed, suggesting the fatigue of illness. The faint suggestion of a jacket collar and tie anchors the figure in a domestic setting while the emphasis remains on the strained facial expression.

Technique & Style

Reutern employed rapid, loose lines and extensive cross‑hatching to model the shadows across the face and neck. This method builds tonal depth without solid black areas, giving the sketch a textured, atmospheric quality.

History & Provenance

After producing this drawing, Reutern helped establish the Artists’ Colony at Willingshausen, a hub for German Romantic painters. The piece reflects his early transition from military service to a visual arts practice.

Context

The drawing belongs to a period when German artists were increasingly interested in depicting everyday life and personal vulnerability, moving away from grand historical subjects toward more intimate, genre‑type studies.

Artist & collection

Artist

Gerhard Wilhelm von Reutern

Gerhardt Wilhelm von Reutern (17 July 1794, Walk – 22 March 1865, Frankfurt) was a Baltic-German military officer and painter who co-founded the Artists' Colony at Willingshausen.