Constable, Delacroix, Friedrich and Goya. A Shock to the Senses

Outstanding works by the painter John Constable (1776 – 1837), Eugène Delacroix (1798 – 1863), Caspar David Friedrich (1774 – 1840) and Francisco de Goya (1746 – 1828) formed the basis of an exhibition which examined the impact of these pioneering painters on successive generations of artists from the 19th century to the present.
The works by these four exceptional artists exemplify the radical changes which took place in the art world around the turn of the 19th century. During this era which later became known as the period of Romanticism, artists turned away from classical conventions. They gained more freedom in depicting nature and set a standard that largely remains valid today.
The curators of the exhibition – Ulrich Bischoff and Luc Tuymans – presented the four artists in relation to a number of renowned painters, such as Adolph Menzel, Max Liebermann, David Claerbout, Paul Cézanne, Gerhard Richter and Vilhelm Hammershøi. They followed the artistic dialogue across generations of artists and illustrated how specific traditions were cultivated over the years. Several contemporary artists, e.g. Luc Tuymans, Gerhard Richter and Jeff Wall, developed new works exclusively for the exhibition.

Artistic directors: Ulrich Bischoff; Curator: Luc Tuymans (BE)
Artists: John Constable, Adolph Menzel, Max Liebermann, David Claerbout (BE), Eugène Delacroix, Paul Cézanne, Per Kirkeby (DK), Luc Tuymans (BE), Caspar David Friedrich, Vilhelm Hammershøi, Mark Rothko, Gerhard Richter, Francisco de Goya, Èdouard Manet, Max Ernst, Jeff Wall (CA)

Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden