Pictured: the true face of Beethoven
Scientists created the first-ever 3D reconstruction of the treasured composer's head by analysing his skull, which may have confirmed long-running depictions of him as an unsmiling man with an unkempt appearance.
According to the new model, he had an icy stare, with dark green eyes and a wavy, grey, thinning hair.
It suggests Beethoven, who died aged 56 in Vienna after a prolonged illness in 1827, had a surly expression with deep frown lines – both repeatedly depicted in portraits of the musician.
'I found the face somewhat intimidating,' said Cicero Moraes, a Brazilian 3D designer and the lead author of the study.
Mr Moraes used historical photographs of Beethoven's skull – provided by the Beethoven House in Bonn, Germany – after it was exhumed in 1863. Along with the images, he used measurement data collected in 1888.
Mr Moraes told The Telegraph: 'This is the first facial approximation made from his skull. I used the same approach we use in police cases to identify victims.
'It is also the first to do a meta-analysis addressing his height of 162-166cm (5ft 3-4in)).'
He added: '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.'
Beyond the face, Mr Moraes added subjective features such as clothes and hair, using a famous portrait of Beethoven, painted by Joseph Karl Stieler in 1820, as his guide. The finer details of the 3D model were enhanced using AI.
'This study offers a unique perspective on Beethoven's complexity, highlighting his resilience, creativity, and a legacy that continues to inspire generations,' wrote Mr Moraes.
In March, the 3D designer and his team also revealed a facial reconstruction of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 230 years after his death, helping to unravel the mystery of what the Austrian composer looked like.
Dozens of portraits of Mozart had each depicted him differently, but the new model shows him with a rounded face, thick blond hair and a receding hairline.
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Andrew Shenton is a cultural critic and musician based in Boston, MA. He is the editor of The Cambridge Companion to Arvo Pärt.
