Der transparente Mondschein von David Caspar Friedrich

In the organizer's words:

In 2024, Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) celebrates his 250th birthday. To mark the occasion, Hessen Kassel Heritage will be presenting the latest research findings on one of Friedrich's outstanding works in the Neue Galerie from May 7, 2024. Since 1957, our collections have been preserving something very special, indeed unique, in Caspar David Friedrich's oeuvre: a large-format, double-sided painted moonlight banner that only reveals its magic in the dark when backlit. Only then does the fog on the front clear and a hilly landscape with a town in the background appears as if by magic.

Around 1780, the novel, spectacular medium of the banner conquered Europe, starting in England. Small groups of people immersed themselves in the artificial moonlight and indulged in elegiac feelings. Public presentations of banners showed visitors famous places or sensational events such as the eruption of Mount Vesuvius with a hitherto unknown intensity.

How does the Kassel Moonlight fit into the history of transparent painting? Where did Friedrich learn about the medium and how did he master the technique to unprecedented perfection? How was his banner illuminated with historical lighting? Was his lighting static or was it possible to create a cinematic-like progression from light to dark or from morning to evening?

We approached these and other questions in collaboration with a physics historian and the art technology course at the Dresden University of Fine Arts. As part of a student project, a technical painting study was carried out there in order to understand Friedrich's approach in practice. The results are presented in the cabinet exhibition. The research into the Kassel Transparent was therefore surprisingly productive. Join us in marveling at the hitherto little-noticed moonlight banner by the German Romantic painter.