080065 SE Caspar David Friedrich and Romantic Landscape Painting (2021W)

Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) is considered one of the most enigmatic personalities in German art history. His way of depicting landscape had a lasting influence on Romantic landscape art and its reception. On this basis, the course will ask what the formal and content-related principles of Romantic landscape painting in Europe are. It becomes apparent that precise definitions as well as precise distinctions to late classicism, Biedermeier and early realism are quite difficult. Rather, the spheres of influence of individual outstanding artistic personalities dominate, and it must be determined from case to case where the respective "romantic" lies in the capture of the landscape. A close look at and analysis of outstanding and lesser-known works makes it possible to trace cross-relationships, track down lines of tradition and look at the different facets of Romantic landscape art in the European dimension. It should also become clear that, within the framework of Western art, especially from 1800 onwards, artistic confrontations with nature represent one of the central foundations for the development of comprehensive world views and imaginary worlds.

At the beginning of the course there are some introductory units, followed by presentations (always two per unit). All pictures of the introduction and the presentation topics are already available on moodle. The special literature on the individual topics will be discussed during office hours (Friday, 9-10 a.m.).

1 Caspar David Friedrich, so-called Tetschener Altar, Dresden, State Art Collections, 1808

2 Caspar David Friedrich, Winter Landscape with Church, Dortmund, Museum of Art and Cultural History, 1811

3 Caspar David Friedrich, Chalk Cliffs on Rügen, Winterthur, Kunst Museum Winterthur - Reinhart, c. 1818

4 Caspar David Friedrich, Two Men Contemplating the Moon, Dresden, State Art Collections, 1819-1820

5 Caspar David Friedrich, The Evening Star, Freies Deutsches Hochstift, Frankfurt Goethe Institute, c. 1830

6 Caspar David Friedrich, The Stages of Life, Leipzig, Museum of Fine Arts, c. 1834

7 Johan Christian Dahl, View of Pillnitz Palace, Essen, Museum Folkwang, 1823

8 Johan Christian Dahl, View over a Rocky Gorge with Waterfall, New York, The Metropolitan Museum, 1823

9 Carl Gustav Carus, The Three Stones in the Giant Mountains, Dresden, State Art Collections, 1826

10 Carl Gustav Carus, Memory of a Wooded Island of the Baltic Sea (Oaks by the Sea), Dresden, State Art Collections, 1835

11 Ernst Ferdinand Oehme, Procession in the Fog, Dresden, State Art Collections, 1828

12 Ernst Ferdinand Oehme, Mountain Chapel in Winter, private collection, 1842

13 Adrian Ludwig Richter, The Crossing at Schreckenstein, Dresden, State Art Collections, 1837

14 Johann Wilhelm Schirmer, The "Wetterhorn", Düsseldorf, Museum Kunstpalast, 1838

15 Johann Wilhelm Schirmer, Large oak on a forest aisle ("Parthie"), Düsseldorf, Museum Kunstpalast, c. 1849

16 Matthäus Loder, The Conversation at Irdning, private collection, 1822

17 Ludwig Ferdinand Schnorr von Carolsfeld, The broad pine tree next to the Brühl near Moedling, Vienna, Belvedere, 1838

18 Jakob Alt, Steyr in Upper Austria, Vienna, Albertina, 1844

19 John Constable, The Leaping Horse, London, The Royal Academy of Arts, 1825

20 Joseph Mallord William Turner, Lucerne by Moonlight, 1843, London, The Tate Gallery