The Goose Girl 1837

Eugen Neureuther made this pencil drawing, The Goose Girl, in Germany in 1857. We see a young woman who is likely of peasant origin, gazing downwards. Neureuther was active during the early-to-mid 19th century, when German artists were looking to their own vernacular traditions for inspiration, instead of looking to France or Italy. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm had recently published their collection of folk tales, which included "The Goose Girl." It is likely that Neureuther was swept up in this turn toward folk traditions, which can be understood as a proto-nationalist effort to create a unified sense of German identity and culture. In this context, the figure of the Goose Girl takes on a symbolic importance, referencing what some considered to be the pure and untainted culture of the German countryside. Analyzing this drawing through historical sources, like the Grimm's folk tales, helps us to better understand its cultural significance.