Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

This portrait of Goethe modelled by Christian Daniel Rauch in 1820, was praised for its life-like qualities and appearance. Initially, the replica in plaster stood in Rauch’s Berlin workshop. Marks on its surface are a sign that for reproduction purposes moulds were made of the poet’s bust. Goethe regarded himself as a „citizen of the world“. In addition to poetry and literature, he was interested in natural sciences and political issues. In the 19th century and even in the 20th century, busts of his characteristic head belonged to the canon of bourgeois educational heritage and small-scale sculptures found their way into numerous private living and representation rooms.