7 days ago
Beethoven's true face is revealed for the first time in 200 YEARS - and it's every bit as 'intimidating' as his reputation suggests
The true face of Beethoven has been revealed almost 200 years after his death – and it's every bit as 'intimidating' as his reputation suggests.
Despite his status as one of history's great composers, Beethoven is also remembered for his surly disposition and unkempt appearance.
'He was indeed irritable, untidy, clumsy, rude, and misanthropic,' wrote British composer Mark Wigglesworth in a blog post.
It's a reputation often reflected in his portraits, which invariably depict him as an unsmiling man with an icy gaze.
Now a scientific reconstruction of his face has revealed what he actually looked like – and it seems he really did look that grumpy.
Cicero Moraes, lead author of the new study, has completed the first ever reconstruction of the composer's appearance based on his skull.
'I found the face somewhat intimidating,' he admitted.
To complete the work, Mr Moraes used historical photographs of the musician's skull provided by the Beethoven House in Bonn, Germany.
Along with the images, which were taken by Johann Batta Rottmayer in 1863, he used measurement data collected in 1888.
He said: 'The facial approximation was guided solely by the skull.
'First I created 2D outlines – frontal and lateral – from the skull photographs.
'Then I modelled the skull in 3D using a virtual donor's tomography, adjusted to match the photos' proportions.
'I then added soft tissue thickness markers based on data from living Europeans, projected the nose, and traced the facial profile.
'I interpolated all these projections to form the basic face.'
With the objective face complete, Mr Moraes added subjective features like clothes and hair, using as his guide a famous portrait of Beethoven painted in 1820 by Joseph Karl Stieler.
Finally, some of the finer details were enhanced with an AI tool.
The skull itself is not in perfect condition, due to incisions made after Beethoven's death in 1827, and the reconstruction is based on only two perspectives – frontal and lateral.
But Mr Moraes said it was also 'highly compatible' with a cast made of the composer's stony visage during his lifetime.
In his blog post, Mr Wigglesworth argued that, despite his reputation, Beethoven could be 'witty, caring, mischievous, generous, and kind'.
It was, he suggested, the loss of his hearing that made him the 'impatient, intolerant, irascible man that, against his better nature, he became infamous for'.
Those who knew him might have agreed.
One contemporary stated: 'As he grew older and deafness overtook him, the negative aspects of Beethoven's personality came to the fore.'
Mr Moraes, who probes the mystery of Beethoven's genius in his new study, believes the composer's musicality and 'challenging personality' go hand in hand.
He said: 'I academically explored his genius, revealing what made him an icon of Western music.
'I analysed his revolutionary creativity, resilience in composing despite deafness, intense focus, problem-solving ability, and tireless productivity, despite a challenging personality.
'Reading about his life in detail was moving, as I noticed behavioural similarities in myself.
'I was fortunate to have psychological support that helped me manage my own irritability.
'Beethoven, however, faced a chaotic world with his own resources, finding refuge in his work, which seemed to bring him existential fulfilment.'
Mr Moraes published his study in the journal OrtogOnLineMag.
