Romanticism in Germany

Germany was home to some of Romanticism's greatest artists — Beethoven, Goethe and Friedrich.

c. 1800 - 1848

videos + essays

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Runge, <em>Hülsenbeck Children</em>
Runge, Hülsenbeck Children

Runge’s painting ushered in a new era in the representation of children—focused on individual selfhood, interiority, and youthful innocence.

Caspar David Friedrich, <em>Solitary Tree</em> (or <em>Lone Tree</em>)
Caspar David Friedrich, Solitary Tree (or Lone Tree)

An ancient, gnarled tree, not the shepherd at its base, is the protagonist of Friedrich’s landscape.

Caspar David Friedrich, <em>Woman at a Window</em>
Caspar David Friedrich, Woman at a Window

The woman in this painting invites us to share the view out her shuttered window, but leaves us to wonder about her thoughts.

Caspar David Friedrich, <em>Abbey in the Oak Forest</em>
Caspar David Friedrich, Abbey in the Oak Forest

A medieval abbey in ruins, within an ancient forest that predates—and will outlast—man’s creations.

Caspar David Friedrich, <em>Monk by the Sea</em>
Caspar David Friedrich, Monk by the Sea

In a century obsessed with conquering nature, Friedrich paints a humble reminder of man’s limitations.

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