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    Zeitgeist: Art in the Germanic World 1800–1900

    February 10–May 17, 2015

    Getty Center

    The Ruins of the Imperial Palaces in Rome / Rottmann

    The Ruins of the Imperial Palaces in Rome, about 1831, Carl Rottmann, graphite and watercolor with touches of white gouache. The J. Paul Getty Museum

  • Poppy / Runge

    Poppy, about 1800–1803, Philipp Otto Runge, cutout silhouette on white paper affixed to blue-gray paper. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Purchased with funds provided by the Disegno Group and Alex Bouzari

  • Walk at Dusk / Friedrich

    A Walk at Dusk, about 1830–35, Caspar David Friedrich, oil on canvas. The J. Paul Getty Museum

  • Swan among Reeds / Carus

    A Swan among Reeds by Moonlight, September 18, 1852, Carl Gustav Carus, charcoal with white chalk heightening on brown paper. The J. Paul Getty Museum

  • Girl Shading Her Eyes / Kupka

    Girl Shading Her Eyes, about 1908, František Kupka, pastel. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Gift of Richard A. Simms in Memory of James N. Wood (1941-2010), President and Chief Executive Officer of the J. Paul Getty Trust 2007-2010. © 2014 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris

  • Two Studies of a Seated Nude / Klimt

    Two Studies of a Seated Nude with Long Hair, about 1901–2, Gustav Klimt, black chalk and red pencil. The J. Paul Getty Museum

  • Queen of the Night / Moritz von Schwind

    Queen of the Night, about 1864–67, Moritz von Schwind, watercolor over graphite. The J. Paul Getty Museum

  • Fridolin Assists with the Holy Mass / Fendi

    Fridolin Assists with the Holy Mass, 1833, Peter Fendi, gouache, watercolor, and graphite. The J. Paul Getty Museum

  • View of the Residence of Archduke Johann in Gastein Hot Springs / Ender

    View of the Residence of Archduke Johann in Gastein Hot Springs, about 1829–32, Thomas Ender, watercolor over graphite. The J. Paul Getty Museum

  • Spring Has Arrived / Richter

    Spring Has Arrived, 1870, Ludwig Richter, watercolor, graphite, gouache, and touches of red chalk. The J. Paul Getty Museum

Zeitgeist: Art in the Germanic World 1800–1900

February 10–May 17, 2015, Getty Center

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Between 1800 and 1900 the Germanic world underwent profound intellectual, social, economic, and political changes. The Industrial Revolution, the formal unification of Germany into a nation state, and the invention of psychoanalysis shaped modern life and its representations in art.

Philosopher Georg Wilhelm Hegel professed that art was a fundamental mode of consciousness whereby humans could reach a profound understanding of themselves and the world. Art reflected the spirit of the age (“Zeitgeist” in German) in which it was created, and this influential notion held sway throughout the 19th century. Drawing proved to be an essential expression of the period.

This two-gallery exhibition, which includes the works of Caspar David Friedrich, Philipp Otto Runge, and Gustav Klimt, brings together paintings, drawings, and prints from the Museum's collection, the Getty Research Institute, and distinguished local private collections.

Works in this exhibition are organized thematically:

Views of Italy: Many German artists were drawn to Rome and the Italian peninsula, where the remains of classical antiquity and the picturesque scenery of the countryside inspired working from nature.

Caspar David Friedrich and Philipp Otto Runge: The transcendent domination of nature over human life, a defining theme of German Romantic art, received its greatest expression in the art of Caspar David Friedrich and Philipp Otto Runge.

Myths, History, and Daily Life: Art academies assumed prominence for the training of young artists, and emphasized traditional figural subjects from myths, history, and daily life.

Austria-Hungary: Vienna served as the cultural hub of Austria-Hungary, where artistic modernism flourished, led by the Viennese Secession movement and artists such as Gustav Klimt.

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