FRIEDRICH'S WEEK: Caspar David Friedrich – Romanticist from Pomerania

Caspar David Friedrich was bor 250 years ago, precisely, on 5 September 1774 in Greifswald, Pomerania.

After studying at the Royal Danish Academy of Art in Copenhagen, he moved to Dresden, where he spent the rest of his life. However, he often returned to his beloved Pomerania and immortalised the local landscapes. Thus, we can see the Baltic coast bathed in a colourful sunset, proud sailing ships on the high seas, the island landscapes of Rügen and vedutas of Greifswald or Neubrandenburg.

A patient and attentive observer will find much more than just landscapes in Friedrich's canvases. ‘A painter should paint not only what he sees in front of him, but also what he sees within himself’ are the words of the artist, fully defining his work, allowing it to be better understood.

Today, his paintings are not only recognisable but actually iconic. It suffices to recall some of the most famous ones: "Stages of Life", “Chalk Rocks on Rügen”, “Monk by the Sea” and the pendant “Abbey in the Oak Forest” or, finally, the symbol of Romantic painting: “Wanderer by the Sea of Mists”. The latter is the most perfect example of Friedrich's characteristic Rückenfigur (inverted figure), which has had a staggering career since the invention of smartphones with cameras and social media.

Several cities, his hometown Greifswald, Hamburg, Berlin or Dresden, are currently celebrating his birthday with exhibitions, conferences, meetings, lectures, concerts and special events. Szczecin, in cooperation with the Pomerania Museum in Greifswald and the Department of Culture for Mecklenburg, Vorpommern and Eastern Brandenburg, is joining in this series of important events.

The programme for the week-long festival includes lectures, meetings, exhibitions, presentations, the premiere of a film and animation, and a debate. The events are held in Polish (see more at PL website). The Friedrich Week, as well as the accompanying exhibition "Reversed Figure", is the brainchild of Daniel Źródlewski, spokesman for the National Museum in Szczecin and also a populariser of Caspar David Friedrich's work, following in his footsteps for more than a decade.

 

Organizers:
The National Museum in Szczecin
Kulturreferat für Pommern und Ostbrandenburg

Partners:
Pommersches Landesmuseum Greifswald
Willa Lentza
Tu.Centrum Szczecin
Obiekt Kreatywny Jadwiga
Pushka Studio
Konik Studio
Galeria Sztuki Współczesnej miejsce sztuki44 w Świnoujściu