Karl Philipp Fohr 1818

Curator: This is Samuel Amsler's rendering of Karl Philipp Fohr, a portrait executed in 1818, now residing at the Harvard Art Museums. It's quite intimate in scale, a mere 15 by 11.7 centimeters. Editor: The first thing that strikes me is its dreaminess—that upward gaze, the flowing hair. He looks like he's lost in thought or maybe remembering a lover. Curator: Amsler's technique certainly contributes to that ethereal feel. Look at the incredible detail in the engraving, how the lines create volume and texture, particularly in the hair and that cap. Editor: It's almost as if Amsler is trying to capture Fohr's soul, that melancholic Romantic spirit. It makes me wonder what was on Fohr’s mind at the time. Maybe he was painting in his mind. Curator: The dedication to detail is impeccable. Overall a very sensitive work. Editor: Precisely, and one that lingers in the imagination, long after you've moved on.