Zeitgeist: Art in the Germanic World 1800–1900

Between 1800 and 1900 the Germanic world underwent profound intellectual, social, economic, and political changes. The Industrial Revolution, the formal unification of Germany into a nation state, and the invention of psychoanalysis shaped modern life and its representations in art.

Philosopher Georg Wilhelm Hegel professed that art was a fundamental mode of consciousness whereby humans could reach a profound understanding of themselves and the world. Art reflected the spirit of the age (“Zeitgeist” in German) in which it was created, and this influential notion held sway throughout the 19th century. Drawing proved to be an essential expression of the period.

This two-gallery exhibition, which includes the works of Caspar David Friedrich, Philipp Otto Runge, and Gustav Klimt, brings together paintings, drawings, and prints from the Museum's collection, the Getty Research Institute, and distinguished local private collections.