inscribed ‘Pauline’
graphite
15.6 x 13.3 cm

This delicate drawing shows two head studies of the artist’s wife, Pauline Hübner, whom
he married in 1829. That same year, Hübner made a large picture, measuring 189.5 x 130
cm, now in the Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, depicting Pauline seated—
presumably with their dog—as a token of his love for her. [1] The painting is rich in symbolic
meaning: the dog represents loyalty, while the open jewellery box and the shell introduce
an erotic undertone. The present drawing is undated, but Pauline’s apparent Biedermeier
hairstyle, suggests that it was drawn between circa 1829 and mid-19th century. Pauline,
furthermore, is shown in a study for the picture in Berlin [2] and in a drawing in a private
collection showing her with one of their children, Emma. [3]

[1] M. Sitt et al., Lexikon der Düsseldorfer Malerschule. 1819-1918. Band 2. Haach - Murtfeldt, Munich,
1998, fig. 178.
[2] See http://www.juliushuebner.de/DE/1828_pauline_bendemann.html [accessed 13- 05-2025]
[3] See http://www.juliushuebner.de/DE/1830_studie_zum_kollektivgemalde.html [accessed 13- 05-2025]