The current exhibition “Maler Müller. A Faust Poet in Rome” at the German Romantic Museum is dedicated to this versatile artist, who is known as a pioneer of Faust poetry, to mark the 200th anniversary of Friedrich Müller’s death. Müller, who was even ahead of Goethe in the circle of young geniuses at the time and was the first to publish a fragmentary “Faust”, was not only a poet but also a talented draughtsman. He signed many of his works under the name “Maler Müller”, the profession he learnt at the Mannheim Drawing Academy, which show a remarkable dual talent between poetry and painting.
The exhibition is divided into three chapters, firstly highlighting Müller’s departure in Mannheim, then his artistically challenging life in Rome, through to his tireless pursuit of truth and beauty, which is reflected in every sheet of his estate. Despite adverse circumstances, existential hardship and being an outsider, Müller always remained true to his passion for art. His works, collected and exhibited in the Manuscript Studio, tell a multifaceted story of the hopes, struggles and ideals of an extraordinary artist who deserves to be rediscovered and brought into the dialogue.
