Here stands a bronze duo forever captured in a moment of contemplation. This is the Goethe Statue. It is also called the \u6b4c\u5fb7\u50cf Sculpture.
The \u6b4c\u5fb7\u50cf Sculpture might bring to mind the original Goethe and Schiller Monument in Weimar Germany. Ernst Rietschel created that iconic bronze double statue in 1857. It features Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller. They are two of the most revered figures in German literature.
The monument has been called one of Germany’s most famous and beloved. It marked the beginning of a monument cult. Dozens of monuments to Goethe and Schiller followed in Europe and the United States.
Goethe and Schiller shared a unique friendship and collaboration. Both lived in Weimar and were central to Weimar Classicism. The bronze figures are larger than life-size. Notably they are the same height. However Goethe was shorter than Schiller.
The figures stand on a stone pedestal. This is in front of the Court Theater that Goethe directed. The theater hosted premieres and countless performances of Schiller’s plays. Goethe is on the left. His left hand rests on Schiller’s shoulder. Goethe holds a laurel wreath. Schiller reaches for it. Goethe wears formal court dress. Schiller wears simpler clothes.
German-Americans commissioned four exact copies of Rietschel’s statue. They are in San Francisco Cleveland Milwaukee and Syracuse. A smaller fifth copy was installed in Anting China in 2006. Anting New Town near Shanghai is German-themed. It was developed around 2000.
Karl Alexander sponsored the Weimar monument project. He was the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. A citizen’s commission also contributed. The dedication coincided with the centennial of Grand Duke Karl August’s birth. He brought Goethe to Weimar in 1775. Goethe lived there most of his life. Schiller lived there the last six years of his life.
The monument site was the city square facing the Court Theater. Goethe managed the theater. He aimed to elevate the masses intellectually. He did this with Shakespeare Gozzi and Schiller. Goethe arranged premieres of Schiller’s last four plays.
Christian Daniel Rauch designed an initial statue. It featured the men in antique dress. This was rejected. Ernst Rietschel designed the accepted version. It showed them in contemporary dress. Rietschel signed a contract in December 1852.
Rietschel needed four years for the full-size model. Ferdinand von Miller cast it quickly in bronze in Munich. The monument was dedicated on September 4 1857. It was part of Grand Duke Karl August’s centennial celebration. Hans Pohlsander called it the first double statue on German soil. He deemed it a masterpiece.
Now you know something about the history of this sculpture and the story behind the original in Weimar. Take a moment to appreciate the artistic skill. Think about the relationship between these two great minds. How did they influence literature and thought?