BERLIN.- The famous painting "Der Watzmann" by German painter Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) was handed over to Berlin’s Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation in the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) last Monday. Created in 1824/25 and one of the key works of the German romantic movement, the large painting will now be a permanent fixture at the Alte Nationalgalerie, which houses one of the largest collections of 19th century sculptures and paintings in Germany. Der Watzmann", named after a mountain on the German-Austrian border, was owned by the heirs of a Jewish art collector who sold it under pressure following Nazi persecution in 1937. The works of Caspar David Friedrich, which mainly consist of surreal watercolors and sepia drawings of the Baltic coastline and ruins of medieval cathedrals, usually fetch millions of dollars. But officials are staying tight-lipped about how much money changed hands to secure permanent housing for "Der Watzmann."

 

The Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) owns one of the largest collections of 19th century sculptures and paintings in Germany. Nineteenth century art is represented by the works of German artists who lived for a year or even decades in Rome (Nazarener): Peter Cornelius, Friedrich Overbeck, Philipp Schadow and Wilhelm Veit were commissioned to paint frescoes on the story of Joseph for the "Casa Bartholdy" in Rome. The collection also contains a significant body of works by Adolph Menzel including famous paintings such as "The Balcony Room" and "The Iron Rolling Mill".

 

There are also numerous Impressionist paintings of very high quality. Early acquisitions included masterpieces by Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne and sculptures by Auguste Rodin. German paintings of the second half of the nineteenth century are represented by artists such as Hans Thoma, Anselm Feuerbach, Arnold Böcklin, Hans von Marées, Wilhelm Leibl and Wilhelm Trübner. The Alte Nationgalerie also owns a considerable number of works by Max Liebermann and Lovis Corinth.

 

Nineteenth century sculptures are currently on show in the Altes Museum. They include the famous marble sculpture of the two Prussian princesses by Johann Gottfried Schadow and works by Berthel Thorwaldsen, Ridolfo Schadow, Reinhold Begas and Adolf von Hildebrand. Sculptures of the Schinkel era are on exhibition in the Friedrichswerdersche Kirche (Friedrichswerder Church).