Artist: Carl Spitzweg
Date: 1850
Size: 48 x 27 cm
Carl Spitxweg painted three versions of The Bookworm, alternatively called The Librarian. The painting shows a man in the Late Baroque period (or Rococo), denoted by the design of the library and the figure’s clothes. The man stands on a ladder against the shelf, holding books in his hand, between his legs under his arm, while his face is almost buried in a book. This is clearly satire of the conservative attitude that prevailed over Europe during this time. The man here is oblivious to the world and would rather be absorbed by his literature. The globe in the corner of the painting suggests that the man does not care about current world affairs and would rather read about the past. The size of the library can only be estimated, the sign above the shelf denotes that it is the ‘Metaphysics’ section which means that it must be a lavish library. The floor is also not visible, making the man’s oblivion much more apparent. Light pours in from an unseen window, but only enough for the man to read his books. Spitzweg liked to gently make fun of the figures he saw around him, showing influences from Dutch masters like William Hogarth and Honore Daumier.
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