The Bookworm is an 1850 oil-on-canvas painting by Carl Spitzweg. Mr. Spitzweg lived in Germany from 1808 until 1885 as a poet and painter. The Bookworm is a humorous portrait of an old bibliophile who seems to be unconcerned with the current affairs of the world.

The painting portrays an untidy gentleman standing atop a library ladder with several books between his legs and under his arms and as he squints intensely into a book. An untidy handkerchief hangs from his hip pocket. The old man ignores the rich environment and solitude of the abundant library as he focuses on the book held close to his nose.