Bärtiger Maler am Totenlager, im Feuerschein einer Lampe einen Sterbenden porträtierend 1844

"Bärtiger Maler am Totenlager, im Feuerschein einer Lampe einen Sterbenden porträtierend" (Bearded Painter at the Deathbed, Portrait of a Dying Man in the Firelight of a Lamp), created in 1844 by Victor Müller, depicts a dramatic scene of a dying man being painted by a bearded painter in the dimly lit chamber. The artist, likely an allegory for Müller himself, meticulously renders the dying man’s features under the pale illumination of a hanging lamp. The composition, characterized by its muted tones and shadowy figures, evokes a sense of solemn contemplation and the inevitability of mortality. This work, housed in the Städel Museum, offers a glimpse into the artistic practices and cultural anxieties of the 19th century.