This year marks the 250th birthday of Caspar David Friedrich, the most important artist of German Romanticism, and it is being celebrated with numerous exhibitions and projects. With his intricately composed and emotionally charged landscape paintings, Caspar David Friedrich continues to influence the history of art to this day.
Another significant event is also commemorated on today’s calendar date. On January 17, 1824—200 years ago—the painter Caspar David Friedrich was appointed extraordinary professor at the Dresden Academy by King Frederick Augustus I. In fact, Friedrich had already been closely associated with the Academy since 1798, as evidenced by his registration as a student in the Academy’s matriculation book. In addition, he was appointed a member of the Academy in 1816. For many years, Friedrich also strove to obtain a full professorship at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts. Despite having influential supporters, his artistic approach and personal convictions were considered incompatible with a regular professorship. Numerous documents in the Main State Archive bear witness to his long-standing connection with the Dresden Academy.
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