Listening tips: Caspar David Friedrich

This September marks the 250 years of Caspar David Friedrich – the famous German painter who has become synonymous with Romanticism. Born on 5 September 1774 in Greifswald, he left a remarkable artistic legacy, innovating the art of landscape painting by going beyond the mere artistic representation of the natural world. True to the philosophy of the Romantic Movement, Friedrich’s paintings bring out the spiritual and the psychological: behind each of his landscapes, there is a human story, an internal dialogue, a quest for something more out of life. It’s sublime and contemplative.

In this post I will give a few listening tips on the subject of Caspar David Friedrich, including podcasts and radio programmes that will help you get acquainted with this remarkable artist, as well as the wider movement he belonged to. You can also enjoy a selection of my favourite Friedrich paintings in the gallery below.

Stuff You Missed in History Class: Caspar David Friedrich

An excellent introduction to CDF, from the hosts of the Stuff You Missed in History Class podcast. This 29-minute programme will provide you with a brief explainer on the importance of Caspar David Friedrich in the history of art, while also delving into some of the controversies surrounding his life and career.

Fairy Tales and Forests: The Grimms and Caspar David Friedrich

Part of the BBC Radio 4 series Germany: Memories of a Nation, this brief, 14-minute episode deals with the Grimm brothers and Caspar David Friedrich as some of the key figures that defined the modern German identity. The programme is presented by the British art historian Neil MacGregor.

Audio Tour ‘Caspar David Friedrich: Art for the New Age’

Some of Friedrich’s most important and best known works are on display in Hamburger Kunsthalle in Hamburg, Germany. Following this link you can access the audio tour accompanying the HK collection, providing very helpful and informative guide to Friedrich’s paintings. (Available in German, Simplified German, and English.)

Caspar David Friedrich: Master of Mystery

My last listening tip is actually a video: it’s a 30-minute documentary produced by Deutsche Welle as part of their Arts Unveiled TV programme. It covers all the main things you need to know about CDF, and the appeal of his art today.