Rainer Maria Rilke pioneered many things: existentialist themes in German-language poetry, psychoana

Rainer Maria Rilke pioneered many things: existentialist themes in German-language poetry, psychoanalytic undertones in poetry (he studied under Freud), being a man with a feminine middle name, and hipstamatic sepia photos.

While Rilke is mainly known as an elegiac poet, his fashion choices and the photographic composition here deserve odes. The three-quarter profile pose highlights Rilke’s angular face, which plays well with the lines of the overcoat. The scraggly beard adds contrast to the simple linearity of the outfit. The widely spaced collar/lapels give a well composed look at the shirt and tie beneath. It gives a consistent appearance of intensity and deliberateness, in line with his craft.