Composers -- Fiction; German fiction -- Translations into English; Germany -- Fiction
The story was as follows: Four years before his death, that is, six
years ago, Anselm Feuerbach came to Nuremberg for the last time to visit
his mother. He was already sick in body and soul, and was much
disappointed in his alleged friends. The incessant torture resulting
from lack of appreciation had told on his health. A few of the more
enlightened citizens, however, recalled his fame, as it floated about in
the heavy air of Germany, somewhat befogged and quite expatriated, and
the Chamber of Commerce placed an order with Feuerbach for a painting to
be hung in the Palace of Justice. Feuerbach accepted the order, choosing
as his theme Emperor Ludwig in the act of conferring on the citizens of
Nuremberg the right to free trade. When the picture was completed, there
was a great deal of dissatisfaction with it. The merchants had expected
something totally different: they had looked for a cheap but striking
canvas after the style of Kreling, and not this dignified, classical
work by Feuerbach.
Nor was this all. The hanging space was so small that several inches of
the canvas had to be run into the wall, and the light was wretched. The
Chamber of Commerce proceeded at once to make trouble with regard to the
paying of Feuerbach’s bill. An ugly quarrel arose in which Rüdiger, the
geometrician, who had always been an ardent champion of Feuerbach, took
the artist’s part. It finally reached the point where Rüdiger left the
city, swearing he would never return. His daughters had all three loved
Feuerbach from the time he lived in their father’s house.
“As a matter of fact, if there ever was an amiable artist,” Benda said
in conclusion, “it was Anselm Feuerbach. Would you like to see him?
Come, then.”
They were near the Cemetery of St. John. The gate was open, and Daniel
followed Benda. They walked along a narrow path, until Benda pointed to
a flat stone bearing the name of Albrecht Dürer. After this they came to
Feuerbach’s grave. A bronze tablet, already quite darkened with age and
weather, bore Feuerbach’s face in profile. Beneath it lay a laurel
wreath, the withered leaves of which were fluttering in the wind.
“What a life he lived!” said Benda in a low tone. “And what a death he
died! The death of a hunted dog!”
As they walked back to the city, night came on. Daniel had removed his
hat, and was walking along at Benda’s side looking straight ahead. Benda
was as nervous as he had ever been in his life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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