A newspaper sketch from 1832 of Goethe’s gentle, calm and erudite character

The writer, artist, philosopher, politician and inadvertent contributor to books of quotations, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, died in Weimar on 22 March 1832, aged 82.

To mark the day, we’ve been reading newspaper stories about Goethe in the Archive.

The newspaper story we’ve posted below (published in 1832) offers a terrific insight into his character, as he gently muses on the beauty of a snake.

We do love the terrific newspaper sketches of famous people that can be found in the Archive, and this is an excellent example of one such character sketch.

Morning Post – Monday 20 August 1832

Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000174/18320820/051/0004