ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Two Coats of Paint Press Publishes Limited Edition of Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther

publication · 2026-06-25

Two Coats of Paint Press has released a limited edition of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s 1774 novel The Sorrows of Young Werther, with a dedication to all artists who have lived and worked in New York City. The edition was published in 2026 and is introduced by artist and writer Laurie Fendrich, who reflects on the novel’s enduring relevance for contemporary artists. Goethe wrote the semi-autobiographical, epistolary novel at age 24, and it became a bestseller, sparking 'Werther fever'—the first recorded pop culture phenomenon. Young men across Europe copied Werther’s yellow waistcoat and blue jacket, and merchandise included porcelain, linens, and even perfume. The book was banned in several cities after reports of copycat suicides. Werther belongs to the German Sturm und Drang movement, celebrating raw emotion over reason. Thomas Carlyle coined 'Wertherism' to describe its self-absorption. Napoleon carried a copy during his Egyptian campaign. The novel influenced Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and Thomas Mann’s Lotte in Weimar. Jules Massenet’s opera Werther debuted in 1892. W.H. Auden condemned the hero as a 'spoiled brat.' Fendrich argues that Werther’s unfulfilled longings mirror the art world’s cycle of hope and disappointment, and suggests Georges Braque’s dictum—'I love the rule that corrects the emotion'—as a counterbalance.

Key facts

  • Two Coats of Paint Press published a limited edition of Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther in 2026.
  • The edition is dedicated to all artists who have lived and worked in New York City.
  • Laurie Fendrich, an abstract painter and arts writer, contributed the introduction.
  • Goethe published the novel anonymously in 1774 at age 24.
  • The novel sparked 'Werther fever,' the first recorded pop culture phenomenon.
  • Young men copied Werther's dress: yellow waistcoat, blue jacket, yellow trousers, brown boots, felt hat.
  • Merchants sold porcelain, linens, tin containers, and 'Eau de Werther' perfume.
  • Several cities banned the book after reports of copycat suicides.
  • The novel belongs to the German Sturm und Drang movement.
  • Thomas Carlyle coined the term 'Wertherism.'
  • Napoleon carried a copy during his Egyptian campaign in 1798.
  • The novel influenced Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility (1811) and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818).
  • William Makepeace Thackeray published a satirical poem in 1853.
  • Jules Massenet's opera Werther debuted in 1892.
  • Thomas Mann's novel Lotte in Weimar (1939) grew out of Werther.
  • W.H. Auden condemned Werther as a 'spoiled brat' in 1972.
  • Fendrich suggests Georges Braque's quote: 'I love the rule that corrects the emotion.'
  • Laurie Fendrich is represented by Louis Stern Fine Arts in Los Angeles.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Two Coats of Paint Press
  • Louis Stern Fine Arts

Locations

  • New York City
  • United States
  • Europe
  • Egypt
  • Lakeville, CT
  • Los Angeles

Sources

Related stories