Caspar David Friedrich and Weimar as a cultural centre around 1800

Weimar was a cultural centre during the Romanticism period, and this will be explored for the first time. Annette Ludwig, Director of Museums at Klassik Stiftung Weimar, describes this as a new perspective on the classical city.

The Klassik Stiftung Weimar museums house a significant collection of paintings, drawings, and prints by the renowned painter Caspar David Friedrich. The exhibition 'Caspar David Friedrich, Goethe and Romanticism in Weimar' will showcase these works to the public for the first time.

Friedrich's artistic career began with the Goethe Prize

He submitted two drawings to Goethe's annual 'Weimar Prize Tasks' in 1805, which caught the attention of the famous poet. Goethe judged the drawings favourably and awarded the Greifswald artist half a prize, including a presentation in an exhibition. This was a great honour for Friedrich, who was still relatively unknown at the time. Goethe gave the works to Duke Carl August later. This act laid the foundations for the Weimar Friedrich collection. Gradually, further works were added, including the famous painting 'Hutten's Grave'.

Encouragement turns into mockery

Goethe's sympathy for Friedrich, who was 25 years his junior, did not last long. He later found little to like about his paintings and even mocked them, saying they could be seen upside down and should be 'smashed on the edge of the table'. Differences of opinion arose when Friedrich refused to produce cloud studies for Goethe's scientific observations.

The first exhibition of Caspar David Friedrich in Weimar

It is a small sensation that there will be a Caspar David Friedrich exhibition in Weimar for the first time in 2024. The exhibition will shed light on aspects that are not addressed elsewhere, at an authentic Friedrich location. For Caspar David Friedrich enthusiasts, it is a unique opportunity, particularly to see the drawings.

For the first time, Goethe's work is clearly associated with Romanticism. His early works, such as 'Götz' or 'Faust', as well as his poems and some of his drawings, can be considered a departure into the era of Romanticism. In fact, Friedrich was also inspired by Goethe's literature: he illustrated 'Shepherd's Lament' in his painting 'Landscape with Rainbow', which is kept in Weimar. The painting has been missing since 1945 and will therefore be presented in the form of a contemporary interpretation.

Experience Caspar David Friedrich's works in a new way

The exhibition uses innovative research methods to explain Friedrich's artistic process. Non-destructive processes make signatures visible, and macro shots reveal that Friedrich worked similarly to the Impressionists. The museums of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar have collaborated with experts from the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing in Berlin to restore a special chapter of their exhibition.

This work will be presented from November 22, 2024 to March 2, 2025 at the Schillermuseum