German Art – early 19th century

In 18th century Germany, nature occupied a central place in philosophy and art. In Tischbein’s portrait of Goethe, for example, the poet merges with his classical landscape setting. Nature continued to be a source of scientific curiosity in the 19th century, as witnessed by Dahl’s painting of Vesuvius. At the same time, German Romantic artists were infusing nature with greater emotion and religious feeling and a sense of national identity.