Head Study of a Bearded Man (Fount of Life), ca. 1848
Oil on canvas
Dimensions without frame42,2 × 33,5 cm
Dimensions with frame54 × 45 × 5,5 cm
Status
on display, room 010.2 About the workWilhelm Schadow was commissioned by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia to paint a picture for the Neues Museum in Berlin on the theme of “Fons Vitae” (The Fountain of Life). In Christianity, this usually refers to Jesus, the Son of God, as it did for Schadow, a devout Catholic. In his literal interpretation of the concept, old and young, rich and poor come together at a fountain to drink. Schadow made numerous preparatory drawings and oil studies for the work. This study of a head corresponds to an exhausted man kneeling at the well while a young woman draws water for him.
AccessionCollection of the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
Provenance[...]; seit 1932 Dauerleihgabe der Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
Inventory numberM 2192