Culture

The Met’s Must-See Exhibition: The Soul of Caspar David Friedrich

Opening on February 8, 2025, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Caspar David Friedrich: The Soul of Nature will remain on view until May 11, 2025.

Por: Rubén Carrillo
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Caspar David Friedrich: The Soul of Nature will remain on view until May 11, 2025. / Photo The MET
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Caspar David Friedrich: The Soul of Nature will remain on view until May 11, 2025. / Photo The MET

For the first time, the United States will host a major retrospective dedicated to Caspar David Friedrich, one of the most influential figures of German Romanticism. 

 

The MET is opening its galleries to examine the impact of Friedrich, who was instrumental in creating a pictorial language for depicting the bond between nature, a language that remains embedded in modern visual culture.

 

This groundbreaking exhibition will bring together over 75 paintings, drawings, and sketches from Friedrich’s career.

This groundbreaking exhibition will bring together over 75 paintings, drawings, and sketches from Friedrich’s career / Photo José Hernández
This groundbreaking exhibition will bring together over 75 paintings, drawings, and sketches from Friedrich’s career / Photo José Hernández

Nature as a Window to the Soul

The works of Caspar David Friedrich are more than just depictions of landscapes; they are profound meditations on the relationship between nature and human existence.

 

Friedrich’s ability to use light, color, and atmosphere to evoke emotion was revolutionary in his time, and his influence can still be felt in contemporary art. 

 

His paintings capture the essence of Romanticism, emphasizing individual perception, solitude, and the sublime power of nature.

 

Max Hollein, Director and CEO of The Met, describes Friedrich as “the most significant German Romantic painter,” emphasizing how his work “brilliantly illuminates our understanding of the natural world as a spiritual and emotional landscape.” 

 

This retrospective follows the 250th anniversary celebrations of Friedrich’s birth in 2024, which took place across Europe.

His paintings capture the essence of Romanticism, emphasizing individual perception, solitude, and the sublime power of nature / Photo José Hernandez
His paintings capture the essence of Romanticism, emphasizing individual perception, solitude, and the sublime power of nature / Photo José Hernandez

A Historic Collaboration and Rare Loans

The Met’s exhibition, made possible through collaborations with leading German institutions, marks a rare opportunity for American audiences to explore Friedrich’s masterpieces.

 

Organized in partnership with the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin, the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, and the Hamburger Kunsthalle.

 

The exhibition will feature exceptional loans from these institutions, which house the most extensive collections of Friedrich’s work. 

 

It will also include contributions from over 30 other public and private lenders across Europe and North America.

 

Among the highlights are Wanderer above the Sea of Fog (Hamburger Kunsthalle) and Monk by the Sea (Nationalgalerie, Berlin), two of Friedrich’s most celebrated works, which have never before been exhibited together in the United States.

The exhibition will trace Friedrich’s artistic journey through a thematic and chronological exploration of his work / Photo José Hernandez
The exhibition will trace Friedrich’s artistic journey through a thematic and chronological exploration of his work / Photo José Hernandez

Themes and Evolution of Friedrich’s Work

The exhibition will trace Friedrich’s artistic journey through a thematic and chronological exploration of his work.

 

  • Early Years in Dresden: Friedrich’s formative years as a draftsman and printmaker in the early 1800s set the foundation for his distinctive artistic language. 

 

  • Romantic Symbolism and Spirituality: Many of Friedrich’s paintings, created during the Napoleonic Wars, incorporate religious and existential symbolism. 

 

  • The Sublime and the Power of Nature: Friedrich’s later works, such as Moonrise over the Sea and The Watzmann, embody the Romantic ideal of the sublime.

 

  • Time, Mortality, and the Human Condition: Friedrich frequently depicted seasonal cycles, decaying ruins, and distant horizons, reflecting on the passage of time and the impermanence of human life.

 

  • Late Period and Legacy: In his final years, Friedrich’s work became increasingly introspective.
An illustrated catalog will accompany the exhibition, featuring essays by leading scholars and art historians / Photo José Hernández
An illustrated catalog will accompany the exhibition, featuring essays by leading scholars and art historians / Photo José Hernández

The Lasting Influence of Caspar David Friedrich

Co-curator Joanna Sheers Seidenstein emphasizes how Friedrich’s artistic vocabulary continues to shape modern visual culture: “The pictorial language that Friedrich and his fellow Romantics developed to express a connection with nature is deeply ingrained in how we see and represent the world today.” 

 

His influence extends beyond fine art into photography, cinema, and environmental consciousness, reinforcing his enduring relevance.

 

Beyond the exhibition, The Met will host educational programs, panel discussions, and workshops exploring Friedrich’s work concerning environmentalism, philosophy, and contemporary art. 

 

An illustrated catalog will accompany the exhibition, featuring essays by leading scholars and art historians.

His influence extends beyond fine art into photography, cinema, and environmental consciousness / Photo José Hernández
His influence extends beyond fine art into photography, cinema, and environmental consciousness / Photo José Hernández

Bacics about the exhibition

  • Why is this exhibition significant? It is the first major retrospective of Caspar David Friedrich in the United States, featuring over 75 works, including masterpieces never before seen in the country.
  • Which are the most notable works on display? Wanderer above the Sea of Fog and Monk by the Sea are among the exhibition’s highlights, along with Friedrich’s rare American-held paintings.
  • What themes are central to Friedrich’s art? His work explores spirituality, solitude, nature’s power, the passage of time, and the Romantic concept of the sublime.
  • How does Friedrich’s art remain relevant today? His vision of nature as a reflection of human emotion continues to influence contemporary art, photography, and environmental thought.

If you enjoyed this guide to Caspar David Friedrich, please share it. You may also be interested in TEFAF Maastricht: Where Art Meets Excellence. Check out more insights in our Culture section.

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