Amalia von Helvig
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Anna Amalia von Helvig (August 16, 1776 – September 17, 1831) was a German and Swedish artist, writer, translator, socialite,
Salonist A salon is a gathering of people held by an inspiring host. During the gathering they amuse one another and increase their knowledge through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "ei ...
and culture personality. She is known as an inspiration for many artists. She was a member of the
Royal Swedish Academy of Arts The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts ( sv, Kungliga Akademien för de fria konsterna), commonly called the Royal Academy, is located in Stockholm, Sweden. An independent organization that promotes the development of painting, sculpture, archite ...
.


Biography

She was born to Baron Carl Christoph von Imhoff of the aristocratic
Imhoff family The Imhoff, Imhof or Im Hof family is a noble patrician family that belonged to the wealthy trading dynasties and ruling oligarchy in the Free Imperial City of Nuremberg during its ''Golden Age'' in the Renaissance. The ''Imhoff Trading Company'' ...
and Luise von Schardt, the niece of
Charlotte von Stein Charlotte Albertine Ernestine von Stein (also mentioned as ''Charlotta Ernestina Bernadina von Stein'' ), born von Schardt; 25 December 1742, Eisenach – 6 January 1827, Weimar, was a lady-in-waiting at the court in Weimar and a close friend to ...
. In 1791, she was introduced to the court of
Charles Augustus, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Karl August, sometimes anglicised as Charles Augustus (3 September 1757 – 14 June 1828), was the sovereign Duke of Saxe-Weimar and of Saxe-Eisenach (in personal union) from 1758, Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach from its creation (as a political u ...
in
Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg an ...
, where she belonged to the court of Charles' mother
Anna Amalia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221 ...
. She was given a good artistic education and was encouraged by
Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as t ...
and
Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friends ...
to write poems. Married in 1803 to General Karl Gottfried von Helvig, she moved to Stockholm in 1804, where she established a
salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon ...
and became a known personality in the capital's cultural life. She was elected to the Academy of Arts in 1804 and took part in several of its exhibitions between 1804 and 1810. She returned to Germany in 1810, but spent the years from 1814 to 1816 in Sweden, where she resided in
Uppsala Uppsala (, or all ending in , ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the county seat of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inha ...
as a part of the circle around the salonist Malla Silfverstolpe. Her friendship with
Erik Gustaf Geijer Erik Gustaf Geijer (12 January 1783 – 23 April 1847) was a Swedish writer, historian, poet, romantic critic of political economy, philosopher, and composer. His writings served to promote Swedish National Romanticism. He was an influential ...
and
Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom (19 January 1790 in Åsbo, Östergötland – 21 July 1855) was a Swedish romantic poet, and a member of the Swedish Academy. Life He was son of a country parson, was born in the province of Ostergotland on 19 Janu ...
has been much discussed, and she is portrayed as a source of inspiration for many artists; she held a correspondence with Swedish artists after she returned to Germany. In
Berlin Berlin is Capital of Germany, the capital and largest city of Germany, both by area and List of cities in Germany by population, by population. Its more than 3.85 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European U ...
, she established one of the most important literary salons of the early 19th century.


In culture

Carina Burman Carina Burman (born 1960) is a Swedish novelist and literature scholar. Her research has been focused on Swedish 18th and 19th century literature. She completed her Ph.D. in literature in Uppsala in 1988 with a dissertation on the Gustavian write ...
portraits the relationship between Amalia von Helvig and Gustaf Geijer in the novel ''Islandet'' (2001).


See also

* Christina Charlotta Cederström *
List of German women artists This is a list of women artists who were born in Germany or whose artworks are closely associated with that country. A * Louise Abel (1841–1907), German-born Norwegian photographer * Tomma Abts (born 1967), abstract painter *Elisabeth von Adl ...


References


Sources

* Österberg, Carin et al., ''Svenska kvinnor: föregångare, nyskapare'' (Swedish women) Lund: Signum 1990. () * Svenskt konstnärslexikon (Swedish Art dictionary) Allhems Förlag, Malmö (1952)


Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Helvig, Amalia von 1776 births 1831 deaths 19th-century German women writers German socialites German salon-holders 19th-century Swedish writers 18th-century Swedish writers 18th-century German writers German women artists Swedish women artists 18th-century German women writers 19th-century German writers 19th-century Swedish women writers 18th-century Swedish women writers