The modernist aesthetic and, later, Nazi ideology split German Romantic painting into two opposed phases, an early progressive movement, represented by Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) and Philipp Otto Runge (1777-1810), and a later reactionary one - epitomized by Friedrich Overbeck (1789-1869) and Peter von Cornelius (1783-1867). In this work, Mitchell Frank explores the continuities between these two phases to reconstruct the historical position that existed in the 19th century and to look once again at the Nazarenes - and Overbeck in particular - as a fully integrated part of the Romantic movement. The book makes a contribution to the understanding of German Romanticism and the legacy of this period in European art.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A thorough analysis of an obscure subject.,
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This review is from: German Romantic Painting Redefined: Nazarene Tradition and the Narratives of Romanticism (Hardcover)
Anyone with even a peripheral interest in the Nazarene Painters of the 19th Century is aware that there is a dearth of comprehensive material on the group available in the English language. Marginalized even in their own native land of Germany, the Brotherhood of St. Luke, as they called themselves, remain elusive to this day. This book sheds some much needed light on an obscure, but highly significant niche in art history, and on German Romantic era painting in particular.
The author jumps into the subject with admirable enthusiasm, avoiding much of the derogatory perspective with which romantic German painting has come to be associated amongst the upper echelon of art academia. At the same time, the Nazarenes and their works are examined carefully in context to the the times which spawned them, and the lasting cultural influence which followed in their wake. Although the illustrations are monochromatic, there is a substantial amount of visual reference material, and the works of individual painters can be examined concurrently with the text. This added dimension proves invaluable in this case, since many of these works are not widely reproduced and are otherwise difficult to find, even on the internet. The academic structure of the work is impeccably footnoted, so that the avid researcher as well as the curious layman will find the book to be rewarding on multiple levels. The text remains accessible throughout. This work would be indispensable to any serious student of 18th century painting. I suspect that artists and painters seeking to review the paintings may find the book disappointing in that the format is small, and the reproductions similarly diminished, but again, its the best that can be found on this obscure topic. The alternative is to travel to the museums in Germany which house the original paintings. The only genuine criticism worth mentioning is that title itself of the book itself is slightly misleading, since the emphasis of the study is clearly on the Nazarene painters, their relationship to 'romanticism' in german art history, and not actually on the somewhat broader topic of German Romantic Painting, as the title implies. Indeed, the sub title on the cover, 'Nazarene tradition and the narratives of Romanticism', goes much further to articulate the focus of this work. I would argue that German Romantic painting is only 'redefined' to the extent that the importance of the Nazarene movement within the genre is examined. It's true that the author devotes a chapter exclusively to Casper David Friedrich, and Phillip Otto Runge, but again, this is only to frame the Nazarenes in their proper setting, not to provide a comprehensive analysis of romantic era German painting. In my opinion, the only way to address a definitive analysis of a topic so large as German Romantic Painting, would be to first define the philosophical & cultural climate which lead to it's cultivation. This would inevitably involve a thorough examination of the aesthetics of Hegel and Kant (who are both mentioned superficially in the text), and then to follow the ripple effect of these values as they permeated literature, music, and ultimately painting. Furthermore, the very definition of 'romanticism' must by proxy include it's expression within the larger European arena, so to define it one must also examine the works of Italian, French, and English painters. This is an admittedly great undertaking, and clearly outside the scope of the study in question. My point being that the author's ambition to 'redefine' German romantic painting is not ultimately attained within the content of this book, simply because a exhaustive comparative analysis is not made. I'm splitting hairs here to be certain, and the discrepancy between the title and the content is ultimately minor. As a reader who very much enjoyed this great book, I will reiterate that the emphasis is a micro rather than a macro view of a very specific chapter in the annuls of art history. Unless one can read german, a more exhaustive examination of the Nazarene Painters cannot be found. And lest it wasn't clear. I loved this book. Hats off to the Author for exploring an obscure topic!
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