Profile Portrait of Miss Wieling 1770 - 1829

Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein made this profile portrait of Miss Wieling with red chalk on paper. The work is not dated, but we can place it in the late 18th century. The Neoclassical style, with its emphasis on line and the antique, was becoming popular throughout Europe. Tischbein had spent a decade in Italy, where he befriended Goethe and became known as the "Goethe Tischbein." This portrait shows the influence of this experience in its aesthetic and cultural context. The profile view and classical hairstyle evoke ancient Roman portraiture. Red chalk was a popular medium for portrait drawings at this time. The format and style of the drawing suggest the influence of art academies, and the growing art market, where portraiture was popular among the middle class. Examining the artist's biography, and the social history of portraiture in the 18th century can reveal a great deal about this image.