An 8.9″ by 11.8″ replica of a painting, Der Bücherwurm von Carl Spitzweg, or The Bookworm by Carl Spitzweg (c. 1850), came into my possession recently. It had been sent to my late father-in-law, long before he was my FIL. It had been my MIL’s previous dwelling. My wife asked me if I wanted it. Sight unseen, I said yes. It had a caption in German.
“Carl Spitzweg (February 5, 1808 – September 23, 1885) was a German romantic painter, especially of genre subjects. He is considered to be one of the most important artists of the Biedermeier era.”
It was sent to him by a couple in Germany; I can’t read their names. Grunhild and Harold, maybe?
But I can read the message: To Mr. Richard Powell – a small present from the other side of the ocean. Thank you for everything. It was dated 04-08-1985, which I ASSUME is August 4, as opposed to April 8.
The picture is an odd yet tangible connection to Richard. We shared a great interest in music, though I didn’t know the scope of his interest in jazz, country, and classical because he didn’t play his CDs in the house, only in the garage, out of earshot of his wife. It was most curious.
Of course, we shared an interest in baseball and attended several Oneonta Yankees or Oneonta Tigers games each year; he had season tickets.
He was also a librarian at some schools in upstate New York, and I was a business librarian. I appreciate books, but especially having them readily available.
Richard died five years ago, on April 22, 2020, after a six-month illness. Before that, he had been so healthy. He would have been 88 on May 23, 2025.