Goethe hos enken i Rom 1810 - 1873

Wilhelm Marstrand made this ink drawing, "Goethe Visiting the Widow in Rome," sometime in the mid-19th century. It captures a scene from the life of the famous German writer, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Marstrand, working in Denmark, looked to historical and literary subjects to engage with broader European cultural trends. The drawing depicts Goethe in Rome, a key stop for Northern European artists and intellectuals on the Grand Tour. We see him in a domestic interior, perhaps offering condolences to a widow. The scene hints at the importance of both artistic pilgrimage and the cultivation of relationships with patrons and other influential figures in establishing an artist's career. Consider the social position of artists at the time. How did institutions like academies and salons shape their work and opportunities? Archival research into Marstrand's biography and the cultural politics of 19th-century Denmark could further illuminate this drawing's historical significance.