Dresden was the centre of life for the painter Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) for over 40 years.
Exhibition at the Albertinum
The landscape paintings of Caspar David Friedrich are among the most internationally renowned works of art. In the exhibition at the Albertinum, Friedrich's paintings are juxtaposed with the most important landscape paintings from the Dresden Old Masters Picture Gallery that once inspired him. These landscapes by the great masters - Jakob Ruisdael, Salvatore Rosa and Claude Lorrain - were already among the gallery's most highly regarded major works during Friedrich's lifetime.
Exhibition in the Kupferstich-Kabinett
The Kupferstich-Kabinett in Dresden's Residenzschloss draws attention to Caspar David Friedrich's artistic process. Friedrich's drawings are characterised by great sensitivity and precision at the same time. They were created on hikes through the near and far landscape surrounding Dresden, but also during his journeys home to Greifswald and Rügen or to the Krkonoše Mountains. Hiking and drawing belong closely together in Friedrich's work. His hiking trails become visible in the exhibition and encourage visitors to follow his paths on their own hikes.
In addition to outstanding drawings, the Dresden Kupferstich-Kabinett possesses a special treasure in the form of a unique manuscript by Friedrich, which is presented in the exhibition. In the text, the artist comments on works by his contemporaries and offers theoretical reflections on art. In dialogue with important loans from the most important museums and private collections, the exhibition thus provides a unique insight into Friedrich's thinking and work.
In the exhibitions and in the accompanying programme, references to other places in the city and the region are illustrated at the same time and different ways of looking at, artistic and scientific approaches to the artist and his work are included. Dresden is thus the finale of a cycle of festival contributions in honour of the artist in Germany. They will be organised by the Hamburger Kunsthalle, the Alte Nationalgalerie Berlin and the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. A major retrospective will follow in 2025 at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.