“The Bookworm”
Ahh. To read!
“The Bookworm” is a lovely oil on canvas painting by the German Romantic artist, Carl Spitzweg, from 1853. Spitzweg is most known for his importance as an artist during the Biedermeier era.
In this painting, an elderly man is seen standing atop of his library ladder. Rows of books surround him, reaching almost to the ceiling. The gentleman is looking closely into an open book, likely due to his aging vision. He has a book in each hand, one under his arm, and one between his legs. A globe is in the foreground on the left. The soft and warm light illuminating the library is a trademark of Spitzweg’s work.
Spitzweg painted three versions of this piece. This is the second version. The first version was originally titled “The Librarian”. The others were painted in 1853 and 1884, the latter just a year before his death.
The Springtime of Nations in 1848 was a series of several revolutions that happened across Europe, including Germany where the artist lived. During the aftermath of so much upheaval, people became more introspective and sensible. This painting gently pokes fun at those who had had enough of all the political upheavals and wanted more stability in their lives. This gentleman depicted would rather bury his nose in his books.
This piece is more of a caricature and reflects the aesthetic style and mood of the Biedermeier art movement at the time. During the Biedermeier period, the middle-class grew and prospered while Europe went through a period of political stability. There was a growing urban middle class that wanted to purchase art. The popular art changed to reflect the middle-class and their daily lives. The art of that period was not political and focused instead on the domestic side of life.
In 1926, the American artist, Norman Rockwell, created his own version of “Bookworm” in tribute to Spitzweg.
This version of “The Bookworm” is currently on display at the Grohmann Museum at Milwaukee School of Engineering in Wisconsin, the United States. The original version is on display at the Museum Georg Schäfer in Schweinfurt, Germany. The location of the 1884 version is unknown but is most likely in a private collection. If anyone can confirm this, please let me know!
For more on Carl Spitzweg, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
Does anyone know where the third version of The Bookworm is?
That’s a great question! I do not know, and I can’t seem to find any information about it, beyond that it was made in 1884. My guess is that it is in someone’s private collection. It would be really interesting to see, as it was made decades later, at the end of his long career.
I updated the post asking about it!
I think I might have the original! I bought it from an Estate sale from a wealthy family in Denver. Any suggestions on how I could confirm this? Where can I take it to be looked at?
Hopefully you saw my email back! Try Sotheby’s website: https://www.sothebys.com/en/sell/paintings. You do not need to sell with them if you don’t want to, but they do offer estimates of a painting’s value.