Arnstein Abbey, 1835
Oil on canvas
Dimensions without frame52 × 67 cm
Dimensions with frame68,4 × 83,1 × 8 cm
Status
on display, room 010.2 About the workCarl Friedrich Lessing, who worked in Düsseldorf from 1826 to 1858, was renowned for his depictions of castles and medieval scenes. He placed the ruins of Arnstein Abbey, which dates back to the eleventh century, in the centre of this image; the nature surrounding it seems almost incidental. Lessing’s “historical landscapes” were painted at a time when there was still no unified German state. People were searching for a national identity and history – and the Middle Ages were perceived as being particularly German.
AccessionAcquisition 1918
Provenance[...]; 1918 angekauft von Dr. Gottschenski, Berlin
Inventory numberM 4228