The Non-Catholic Cemetery in Rome presents an in-depth exploration of the funerary portrait of August von Goethe, the only son of the German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who died in Rome on 27 October 1830 during his journey through Italy.
The exhibition traces the evolution of his funerary monument — from the earliest sketches to its final form. The original drawings reveal how the monument developed from classical motifs into the refined simplicity that still distinguishes it today.
Together with the image of the plaster model of Thorvaldsen’s relief, these works bring us closer to the story of a man whose fate links the greatest poet of Weimar with the enduring legacy of Rome.
Special thanks to the the Freundeskreis des Goethe National Museum Weimar, Thorvaldsen Museum in Copenhagen, the Alinari Foundation, and the Nicola Bulgari Foundation, whose permissions and support made this exhibition possible. We would also like to thank the Casa di Goethe for their support during the realization of the copy of the Thorvaldsen medallion.
