MIRENE SCHMITZ PHOTOGRAPHY
"Christiane Vulpius Portrait"

Location: Bonn, Germany
Technique: intaglio, drypoint, TetraPak
Social Media: @mirene_schmitz_photography
Website: http://www.mireneschmitz.com
Print Number: 1438

Christiane Vulpius (June 1, 1765 – June 6, 1816) was Goethe’s companion and later his wife. The side-profile drawing used as the basis for this silhouette was created around 1788/89 (shortly after they met) and was drawn by Goethe himself. The original is kept in the so-called “Christiane Room” at the Goethe House in Weimar. Silhouettes were a popular form of portraiture during Goethe’s era, as photography did not yet exist. Goethe created numerous silhouettes of well-known contemporaries, but unfortunately, no silhouette of Christiane is known to exist. This mini-series was created out of my connection to Weimar and my passion for both historical and contemporary portraits, in honor of Christiane’s 260th birthday in 2025.

Seen in the following exhibitions: