Johanne Henriette Rosine Hendel-Schütz, née Schüler, (1772–1849) was a German actress, mimoplastic performer, dancer and singer.
Biography
Born on 13 February 1772 in
Döbeln
Döbeln ( hsb, Doblin) is a town in Saxony, Germany, part of the Mittelsachsen district, on both banks of the river Freiberger Mulde.
History
* 981: First written mention of Döbeln (Margravate of Meissen).
* Around 1220: Döbeln is described ...
,
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
, Hendel-Schütz was the daughter of the actor Carl Julius Christian Schüler. While still a small child, she performed at the Ekhof-Theater in
Gotha
Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the ...
, where since 1775 she had been taught to dance by von Mereau, the court's dancing master. After a period in Breslau (1779–85), she attended the French school in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
where she was instructed by
Johann Jakob Engel
Johann Jakob Engel (11 September 1741 – 28 June 1802) was a German author.
Life
Engel was born and died in Parchim, in the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He studied theology at Rostock and Bützow, and philosophy at Leipzig, where he too ...
, the author of the widely acclaimed introduction to acting ''Ideen zu einer Mimik''.
In 1788, when just 16, she married the opera singer Friedrich Eunicke with whom she toured to destinations including
Mainz
Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main (river), Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-we ...
,
Bonn
The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr r ...
,
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
and
Frankfurt am Main
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
. In Frankfurt, she met the painter Johann Georg Pforr who introduced her to the "attitudes" of
Lady Hamilton
Dame Emma Hamilton (born Amy Lyon; 26 April 176515 January 1815), generally known as Lady Hamilton, was an English maid, model, dancer and actress. She began her career in London's demi-monde, becoming the mistress of a series of wealthy men ...
who in 1787 had developed a new form of entertainment, combining classical poses with modern allure in loose fitting garments in what became known as
mimoplastic art
Mimoplastic art (also known as attitudes) is a performance art genre depicting works of art by use of mime, especially gestures and draping. Mimoplastic "attitude" is differentiated from the tableau vivant by its imitation of classical sculpture. T ...
. They had been published as etchings inspired by the drawings of
Friedrich Rehberg
Friedrich Rehberg (22 October 1758 – 20 August 1835) was a German portrait and historical painter.Halle (1807–09). Her fourth marriage was with the historian
Friedrich Karl Julius Schütz Friedrich Karl Julius Schütz (31 May 1779, in Halle an der Saale – 4 September 1844, in Leipzig) was a German historian. He was the son of philologist Christian Gottfried Schütz (1747–1832).
He studied history at the universities of Universit ...
who accompanied her on her theatrical tours, on occasion also performing on the stage.
From 1808, her appearances became increasingly based on her mimoplastic miming as she represented mythological figures in the Renaissance style, often basing her acts on paintings or statues. After first presenting them in Frankfurt, she took her imitations to Finland, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and France. Hendel-Schütz retired from the stage in 1818. Her retirement was spent in Stargard and later in
Köslin
Koszalin (pronounced ; csb, Kòszalëno; formerly german: Köslin, ) is a city in northwestern Poland, in Western Pomerania. It is located south of the Baltic Sea coast, and intersected by the river Dzierżęcinka. Koszalin is also a county-stat ...