The Romantic Spirit: German Drawings, 1780-1850, from the German Democratic Republic (STAATLICHE MUSEEN, BERLIN AND THE KUPFERSTICH-KABINETT)

Beautifully illustrated with 40 four-color and 85 black-and-white full-page plates, this finely crafted volume is the first book in English devoted entirely to the drawings and watercolors of German Romantic artists, including Caspar David Friedrich, Philipp Otto Runge, and Adolph von Menzel. Published to coincide with a landmark exhibition at The Pierpont Morgan Library in New York, The Romantic Spirit features 125 drawings gathered from the Nationalgalerie, East Berlin, and the Kupferstich-Kabinett, Dresden, two of the richest repositories of this material in the world. (This is the first time this material has ever been lent to the West.) In addition, an introduction traces the history of collecting German 19th-century drawings in Berlin and Dresden, and five stimulating essays explore various aspects of 19th-century German art, including the major artistic trends (Romanticism, Realism, Classicism, and Biedermeier) and Italian and other foreign influences on German Romantic Art. This exceptional volume is an excellent addition to any library of fine art books. Collectors will especially appreciate the high quality of craftsmanship.