Der Maler Friedrich Gauermann 1839

Friedrich von Amerling created this portrait of the painter Friedrich Gauermann in Austria, sometime in the first half of the 19th century. Here, we see the artist's emphasis on portraying Gauermann in profile, a stylistic choice that evokes earlier classical portraiture and lends the sitter an air of nobility. In Austria at this time, the Biedermeier movement was dominant in the arts and its artists focused on intimacy and attention to detail. Gauermann’s middle-class status is evident in his attire, a style popular amongst artists and intellectuals. The image serves as a historical record of the social and artistic circles of the time. To understand it better, we might examine letters, exhibition catalogs, and biographical accounts that provide insight into the institutions of the Austrian art world. The meaning of art, you see, is always contingent on its social and institutional context.