The Bookworm — Carl Spitzweg — Original Size Edition (49.5 × 26.8 cm)

The painting at its true size

High on a library ladder, an old scholar has forgotten the world. He reads one book, holds another, keeps a third under his arm and a fourth between his knees, while a ray of golden light falls from above. Painted around 1850 by Carl Spitzweg, a Munich pharmacist turned self-taught painter, The Bookworm is the masterpiece of the Biedermeier era: gentle, humorous and full of affection for quiet, inward lives.

One size only: 49.5 × 26.8 cm

This special edition is printed at the exact dimensions of Spitzweg's canvas, 49.5 × 26.8 cm. Not enlarged, not cropped, not adapted to a standard poster format: what you hang on your wall is the painting at the size the artist made it. The tall, narrow shape is part of the work itself, and it is what gives the scholar his precarious height on the ladder. For that reason we offer this print in this size alone.

Framing

Because it follows the painting rather than a standard frame, this format calls for a custom frame or a made-to-measure mat. The simplest solution is a 40 × 60 cm or 50 × 70 cm frame with a mat cut to 49.5 × 26.8 cm: the wide border suits the picture beautifully and gives it the presence of a museum piece. A dark wood or thin black frame matches the warm browns and golds of the painting.

Where to hang it

A natural choice for a home library, a study or a reading corner, and a perfect gift for any book lover. Its vertical format works particularly well on a narrow wall, between two bookcases, or beside a door, where a wider print would not fit.

• Artist: Carl Spitzweg (1808–1885)
• Original title: Der Bücherwurm
• Date: c. 1850
• Original medium: Oil on canvas, 49.5 × 26.8 cm
• Print size: 49.5 × 26.8 cm, the exact size of the original
• Collection: Museum Georg Schäfer, Schweinfurt

Read more in our guide: What Is Romantic Art? 15 Iconic Paintings.