Pictures of Beethoven

[Phil Leeds]

When I see the numerous paintings and sketches of Beethoven, I am amazed how different he looks in some of them - I sometimes wonder if it is the same man the artists have had in front of them.
Anyone else wondered which portrait or portraits are the best representation of what he actually looked like?

[Hollywood]

This portrait by Christian Horneman is my favorite one and I had a copy of it painted in oils done back in the 1970s (which hangs proudly on my living room wall):

[Michael]

Looks like Timothy Dalton

[Peter]

Undoubtedly the best representation is the face mask and bust by Klein from 1812.

[Phil Leeds]

I like that one too Hollywood. Looks a lot like an actor in Sense and sensibilty currently being shown on BBC.

I think the face mask will be the best representation but with out the detail of his eyes, hair etc, it is difficult to imagine the "person". I like one by Karel le Dake (sorry I can't seem to paste it in here) which has good detail of his pot-marked face and his eyes are just how I imagined they would have been.

[Fanny del Rio]

I think Beethoven is the twin of this nice guy!!

Sorry I don't know how I can get the picture larger in here, I've never done it before.

[Megan]

I think Beethoven is the twin of this nice guy!!

Sorry I don't know how I can get the picture larger in here, I've never done it before.

Yes, I agree Fanny,
This is quite a good likeness .

[heidi]

I think Beethoven is the twin of this nice guy!!

Sorry I don't know how I can get the picture larger in here, I've never done it before.

Who's the guy?

[TiberiaClaudia]

I like these:





I think there is a resemblence between these, the lifemask, and the Christian Horneman image, too!

Some people think I'm crazy when I say this but, pockmarks and wild hair or not, (if these images are at all accurate) then I think Beethoven was attractive

In the one where his hands and body are visible, the artist seems to agree with the description I read that Beethoven's palms were wide and his fingers were more tapered than most people's.

Incidentally, why didn't they ever make a cast of his hands after his death???

TC

[Preston]

Here is where you can see a lot of them, http://www.beethoven-haus-bonn.de/si...tail.php/14988 .

Here is one of my favorites (It really reminds me of Beethoven. I first saw it in Solomon's Book: Beethoven):

[Hollywood]

The portrait by Joseph Mähler is my second favorite. The original painting hangs in the Beethoven museum (at the Pasqualati Haus) here in Vienna:

[Phil Leeds]

Thanks fo r the link Preston.
I haven't seen that second one you posted TiberiaClaudia

Here is the link for the Karel de Dake one I mentioned earlier:
http://www.beethoven-haus-bonn.de/si...=i437&_seite=1

[Joy]

I think there is a resemblence between these, the lifemask, and the Christian Horneman image, too!

Some people think I'm crazy when I say this but, pockmarks and wild hair or not, (if these images are at all accurate) then I think Beethoven was attractive

In the one where his hands and body are visible, the artist seems to agree with the description I read that Beethoven's palms were wide and his fingers were more tapered than most people's.

Incidentally, why didn't they ever make a cast of his hands after his death???

TC

TC: Here's a link to a picture of a portrait painted shortly after his death of Beethoven's hands.
http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~simo...o_sonatas.html

[Joy]

The portrait by Joseph Mähler is my second favorite. The original painting hangs in the Beethoven museum (at the Pasqualati Haus) here in Vienna:

This is my second favourite portrait of Beethoven also. My first being the portrait from 1820 by Joseph Karl Stieler.

[Preston]

This is my second favourite portrait of Beethoven also. My first being the portrait from 1820 by Joseph Karl Stieler.

Surely not the Stieler ,! I have found that too many people fantasize over that, practically, caricature of Beethoven.