Goetz von Berlichingen Writing His Memoirs

Goetz von Berlichingen Writing His Memoirs is a dramatic print created by Eugène Delacroix between 1836 and 1843. This specific impression is classified as the second state of four, executed in the demanding medium of lithography. This printing technique allowed Delacroix to achieve the rich tonal contrasts, heavy atmosphere, and dramatic lighting characteristic of the Romantic period he helped define.

The subject matter draws from the tumultuous life of the 16th-century German knight, Götz von Berlichingen, famous for his prosthetic iron hand and his autobiography. The story was popularized in the late 18th century by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s celebrated play, providing rich fodder for Delacroix’s fascination with historical drama.

Delacroix focuses on the intimate moment where the knight transitions from a life of conflict to one of reflection. The central figure is shown intently writing his memoirs, still partially clad in his distinctive armor, underscoring the connection between his military past and his current intellectual pursuit. The inclusion of a woman within the dimly lit interior, perhaps a family member or attendant, softens the scene and integrates the domestic setting with the historical narrative.

While renowned for his oil paintings, Delacroix also mastered the creation of prints, utilizing lithography to disseminate his interpretation of key literary and historical episodes. His characteristic sense of intense emotion and movement is expertly conveyed through the heavy shadows and precise lines inherent to the medium. This important work, a key example of 19th-century French prints, resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), preserving the artist's engagement with these powerful German literary sources.