Fotoreproductie van een gipsen kopie van de Goethe-Schiller-Denkmal in Weimar c. 1870 - 1890

This is a photograph of a plaster cast of the Goethe-Schiller monument in Weimar, held in the Rijksmuseum. The image has a sepia tone, giving it a nostalgic, almost ghostly quality. The stark white figures stand out against the dark background, their forms sharply defined. The composition emphasizes the relationship between the two writers. Their hands are clasped, symbolizing their creative partnership and intellectual camaraderie. Formally, the clasped hands act as a bridge, connecting their individual spaces into a unified field. We can explore the power relations inherent in representation itself. The photograph captures not the men themselves, but a copy of their likeness. Consider how the act of reproduction affects our understanding of originality and authenticity. In doing so, we begin to unpack the layers of meaning embedded within this seemingly straightforward depiction, questioning the very nature of historical representation and artistic creation.