Bach FAQ 159
The “Correct” Portrait of Bach: This Is What Bach Really Looked Like..
The “correct” portrait of Bach. What did Bach actually look like? Why are there so different images of Bach's face? And why are there so many different faces on Bach monuments around the world? This question is not aimed at people, children, or adults who have just "started with Bach". Rather, it is intended for those interested in Bach who already know a little more about him and his life than "just" his divine music..
How did the sculptor know that Bach might have looked like this?..
All Fictitious ... all?..
So if this answer to FAQ 159 is not for Bach beginners, who is it for? I have compiled it for Bach enthusiasts, or perhaps future Bach enthusiasts, who have already found out a little about the master on the internet. For those who have already googled one or two Bach book titles. And for those who are now surprised that there is not just one well-known portrait of Bach, but four..
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One of the most recent Bach monuments and one of the monuments that portrays Bach as a very young adult. Did Bach really look like this?..
Dr. Hansen's Bach Iconography..
Who, please, is Dr. Hansen? Dr. Hansen is the director of the Bach Museum in Eisenach, Thuringia. Eisenach is the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach. So that's clear. But what, precisely, is an iconography in general and the Bach iconography in particular? And what does Dr. Hansen have to do with it?..
The Bach portrait in Ansbach, Bavaria: Did Bach really look like this?..
About the Bach iconography. Iconography refers to a collection of images: oil paintings, graphics, etchings, engravings relating to a person ... The main thing is that they are historical and seriously created. So comics are not included. Iconography is also compiled for scientific purposes. So that the works can be analyzed and interpreted. And presented to a broad public. These works are then also used to compile and explore ideas, themes, or stories. The Bach iconography is particularly exciting because it consists of dozens of motifs featuring Bach's face, practically all of which are "freely invented"..
Well, many portraits are based on previous depictions. But then they are modified according to personal taste and preference. If there are over 100 different pictures/paintings/portraits of Bach, then he is depicted as he really looked in less than one percent of all motifs..
What Are the Four Most Famous Bach Pictures / Bach Paintings / Bach Portraits?..
Did Bach look like this when he started his job in Mühlhausen?..
If you google “Bach portrait” or “Bach painting,” “Bach picture,” or “Bach iconography”, the following portraits appear at the top of the list, in no particular order: First is the one by Elias Gottlob Haußmann. This is by far the most famous motif. Of 100 people who are familiar with the name of Bach, 97 know this motif. In second, third, and fourth place are the so-called Rentsch picture of the young Bach. Then there is the Ihle picture of the young Bach, which is also very well known among Bach enthusiasts. And the fourth, much less well-known motif of Bach is his so-called old age picture..
The “lost” Bach monument and Bach portrait in Berlin: Did Bach look like this?..
Only One Portrait Is Authentic..
There is one painting, an oil painting, that we know for certain Bach actually sat model for. It is the work of painter Elias Gottlob Haußmann. How do we know this? Because Haußmann lived during exactly the same period that Bach was active in Leipzig..
Then: Bach was a member of the “Society of Musical Sciences”. This society was founded in Leipzig in 1738 by musicologist Mitzler. To become a member of this association, one had to create one's own compositions. In addition, one had to have a portrait of oneself made and submit it. Whether Bach composed and submitted his work “The Art of Fugue” for this purpose in 1746 is a matter of debate among experts. But ... he definitely had his portrait painted. The painting is now world-famous and there are two originals..
That is why this oil painting of Bach is so well known: because it is the only authentic one out of well over 100 portraits..
Well ... Ihle, Rentsch, the Portrait of Bach in Old Age ... but How Many Other Portraits of Bach Are There?..
There are – so to speak – three leagues of painters who have portrayed Johann Sebastian Bach. First, there are the four masters in the first league, namely Haußmann, Ihle, and Rentsch. Finally, there is the unknown artist who painted Bach's “portrait in old age”..
Johann Ernst Rentsch (... the Elder) was court painter in the service of the Duke of Weimar. In 1715, Bach and Rentsch lived in this city at the same time. Bach was 30 years old in 1715. However, the expert on the Bach iconography, that is the director of the Bach House, Dr. Jörg Hansen, summarized the following for me in brief:..
Johann Ernst Rentsch (... died 1723, the Elder) was court painter in the service of the Duke of Weimar. It is uncertain whether the “Bach portrait” in the Erfurt Angermuseum was painted by this artist, as the painting is unsigned. When it was discovered in 1907, it was immediately classified as a portrait of Bach. There is no evidence to support this. Since the painting shows a man of about 30 years of age, Bach was court organist in Weimar at this age and Rentsch was encountered at court and both met, the painting was attributed to this painter and dated to around 1715. Art historians today believe that the painting was created clearly later. In addition, there are major differences in the shape of the head and the facial features compared to Haußmann's portrait. The painting attributed to Rentsch is no longer considered by experts to be a portrait of Bach" (... End of quote). And because he not only fulfilled my wish for a qualified and brief answer, he also refered to his detailed work, which can be found in the Bach Handbook. I am convinced that there is no more detailed and qualified information on the Bach iconography in the universe. Two newspaper articles, linked below, by me provide a brief, rough overview. But Dr. Hansen provides information with a factor of 100 ... in terms of quality and quantity..
Let's continue with the well-known portrait of Johann Jakob Ihle. The portrait is supposed to depict Bach around 1720 as court conductor in Köthen. However, the painting was declared “fake” as early as 1950. One of the scientific proofs: There are no indications that the young man is a musician or Bach..
Finally, there is the so-called portrait of old age: Director Jörg Hansen believes that this portrait also contains no references to Bach or any indication that it depicts a musician..
Next, there is a second league: These are artists who are well known regionally, nationally, and also in expert circles, whether on the subject of “Bach” or “painters.” I don't know them. You probably don't know them either. There are roughly 100 to 200 of them. These are the painters whose Bach works are of particular interest to Dr. Hansen, mentioned above. Finding them is the passion of the scientist and museum director. Time and again, he succeeds in finding another Bach painting, and then we can read about it in the press and on the internet..
He has already exhibited a tremendous number of such “jewels" in the Bach House and Bach Museum. Of course, I asked the director of this Bach institution for a rough estimate of the number. His answer was, as always, scientifically precise. So precise, in fact, that I would like to quote it here exactly as he said it:..
"We have a total of 124 historical depictions of Bach (paintings, copperplate engravings, lithographs, drawings), to which an estimated 30 sculptures can be added. There are also numerous plaques, medals, and other collector's items. Around 58 of these are on display. Attributions (Ihle, Gorke pastel) are included. We do not own Rentsch and Altersbild (Anger Museum and San Francisco, respectively). Illustrations on graphic panels are not included. Also not included are bound frontispieces, abstract representations, and casts of the skull..
We display the following historical paintings:..
- Haußmann 1746 (copy from 1910)
- Gorke pastel (attribution)
- Ihle (attribution)
- Goebel (still to be considered as an original)..
In addition, there are two modern Heisig paintings from 2004, a painting by Max Lingner from 1950, and one by Johannes Brasch from 1924" (End of quote)..
Finally, the third league consists of an infinite number of unknown “Bach painters” in our age of the World Wide Web. These are people all over the planet who are simply good at sketching, painting, and drawing portraits. Their Bach motifs can also be found on the internet. As posters, illustrations, on T-shirts, and even on gifts. Plus, of course, in calendars about the star composer. And I ... count myself one of these creative folks..
If you are particularly interested in this topic, please visit the Deutschlandfunk website. There you will find entertaining articles to read. Here is the link. The article in the Süddeutsche Zeitung is also worth reading. You can find it here: with one click..
I wonder where the Chinese got their inspiration when an artist designed this motif above? Well, Haußmann was definitely a bit of an inspiration..
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