Caspar David Friedrich

To mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840), the Nationalgalerie of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, in collaboration with the Museum of Vienna, will be holding the exhibition The Rediscovery from April 19 to August 04, 2024 in Berlin. This is a comprehensive exhibition dedicated to works by one of the most renowned painters of German Romanticism. There are around 60 paintings and 50 drawings from Germany, including iconic works that are recognised around the world. The Nationalgalerie houses one of the largest collections of Friedrich's paintings, in an exhibition in which the central theme is the role the museum played in the rediscovery of the painter's art at the beginning of the 20th century.
The artist disappeared during the second half of the 19th century. In 1906, the Nationalgalerie paid tribute to him with 93 paintings and drawings by him. Friedrich captured light and atmosphere and was a pioneer of modern art. Different perspectives, painting technique and the concept of change will be on display. Monk by the Sea and Abbey in an Oakwood are two examples of works that exemplify the unique character of the Nationalgalerie's collection, whose works were acquired by Prince Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig of Prussia.

The Rediscovery exhibition will be on show in Berlin from April 19 to August 04, 2024.

The painter Friedrich was born on September 05, 1774, in Greidswald, Germany. He had nine siblings. He lost his mother, Sophie Dorothea Bechly, when he was seven. Later, he also lost two sisters. Another milestone in his life was when his brother Johann died after rescuing Caspar, aged 13, when he had fallen through the ice.
In 1790, he began taking drawing lessons. At the age of 20, he enrolled at the Copenhagen Academy. Throughout his life, he always showed an interest in nature and landscape. He developed spiritual and mystical poetry (he used landscapes to evoke religious feelings). He thus became one of the great names of German Romanticism. 
In 1798, he finished his studies and moved to Dresden. From here his paintings gained more significance. During the Napoleonic Empire, the artist interpreted much of the country's political and cultural context in his paintings. In 1816, he became a leader of the Romanticism movement in Germany and was elected to the Dresden Academy of Art. In 1818, he married Caroline Bommer, with whom he had three children. From then on, he depicted his wife in several of his works.

Two years later, his friend and artist Gerhard von Kügelgen was murdered and Friedrich fell into depression. It was in teaching that he found strength and solace, living for some years away from the artistic scene. Until 1826. However, from 1830 onwards, the artist began to live a more solitary life. He withdrew into his own world, into his studio. He only socialised with friends. Everything he created depicted death and the passage of time. It was during this phase that he created the well-known work The Stages of Life. In 1835, he suffered a stroke, which limited his artistic production. After a second stroke, he died on May 07, 1840, in the city where he had spent part of his life, Dresden.
His body passed away, but his work prevailed. His works inspired other artists and are now cultural icons. His story has marked modern art forever.