Caspar David Friedrich: infinite landscapes

Abstract

"250 years after the painter's birth, this luxurious exhibition catalog offers glimpses into the mystery of Friedrich's largely posthumous popularity as well as the latest research into his training and techniques. Largely ignored during his lifetime, Caspar David Friedrich was a meticulous painter of emotionally evocative landscapes, often featuring solitary figures or groups of people against dramatic scenery. His work has inspired many artists to the present day, and this volume explores the role that Berlin's Nationalgalerie played in bringing Friedrich into the forefront of modern art history. It also shines a light on Friedrich's remarkable use of pairs in paintings--including his most famous pairing, Monk by the Sea and Abbey in the Oakwood--which he employed to express a range of different perspectives and the concept of change. Finally it examines the latest research into Friedrich's technique: his early training in Copenhagen; his sketches, preparatory drawings and underdrawings; and his unconventional selection and use of pigments. Throughout this monograph readers will find stunning reproductions of sixty paintings, including several iconic works, and fifty drawings--representing collections from around the world. Coupled with the latest research, they combine to offer a completely up-to-date appreciation of Friedrich's extraordinary talent and his unquestionable status as a pioneer of modern art"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents

Preface / Christian Kohorst -- Foreword / Ralph Gleis -- The Rediscovery of Casper David Friedrich at the German Centenary Exhibition of 1906 in Berlin: On the History of Collecting and Exhibiting at the Nationalgalerie / Birgit Verwiebe -- Leaps in Time: Approaches to Casper David Friedrich / Ralph Gleis -- "Come and See": On Interpreting the Art of Casper David Friedrich / Johannes Grave -- Casper David Friedrich's Paired Pictures in Context / Hilmar Frank -- Casper David Friedrich and the Aesthetic Realization of Romantic Mathematics / Werner Busch -- "Nothing in a Picture is Incidental": Drawings by Casper David Friedrich in the Berlin Kupferstichkabinett / Anna Marie Pfäfflin -- On the Copy of Casper David Friedrich's Monastery Graveyard in Snow: Replicas of Friedrich's Works by the Artist and Others / Gerd-Helge Vogel -- From Idea to Picture: Technical Investigations of Casper David Friedrich's Painting Technique / Kristina Mösl -- Illuminated Images after Casper David Friedrich: Hiroyuki Masuyama's Adaptations between Appropriation and Recreation / Sintje Guericke -- Catalogue -- Appendix