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Romantische Reise durch das alte Deutschland
Wonderful pictures of Germany of the past.
Hardcover
Published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 23, 2021
I found this little gem (wait scratch that, it's actually quite large) in a used bookstore in Austin, Texas, and I do have to wonder how a book from 1969 in Germany, managed to wind up here. Regardless, the text and many gorgeously detailed paintings and drawings are from well before then, most before the middle of the 19th century. In fact, before there was a Germany, proper. Some of the cities pictured (Danzig, Pressburg) are no longer German, as the borders (and sometimes peoples) of central Europe have been shifted around by wars.
The first thing one is struck by, is how much detail went into the artwork. I realize that as a 21st century educated person, I am supposed to find Picasso and Andy Warhol more impressive, but frankly, these artists (whom I have never heard of before) make them look like toddlers with fingerpaints. There, I said it.
There are a few of these places which I have been, albeit 150 years later, and some of the main landmarks were recognizable. I think there may have been a bit of 19th century equivalent to Photoshop, where several of the best churches, bridges, etc. were all put together into one tidy vista rather than spread out across town to their full natural extent. It was also fun to use a lens to magnify the details; the book is printed on 11x17 paper and there are still points too small to notice if you aren't careful. The artists nearly always put human figures into the scene, often quite a few of them, and it was entertaining to see the emotional content (busily hurrying, lounging happily, flirting, etc.) that they could convey with body language.
I read some of the descriptions, but my German is rusty, so I freely admit I didn't always finish all of it. Many of them were poetic descriptions from the 19th century of the town in question, so I use that as my excuse.
I looked over two pages each morning, over breakfast, and was never disappointed.
The first thing one is struck by, is how much detail went into the artwork. I realize that as a 21st century educated person, I am supposed to find Picasso and Andy Warhol more impressive, but frankly, these artists (whom I have never heard of before) make them look like toddlers with fingerpaints. There, I said it.
There are a few of these places which I have been, albeit 150 years later, and some of the main landmarks were recognizable. I think there may have been a bit of 19th century equivalent to Photoshop, where several of the best churches, bridges, etc. were all put together into one tidy vista rather than spread out across town to their full natural extent. It was also fun to use a lens to magnify the details; the book is printed on 11x17 paper and there are still points too small to notice if you aren't careful. The artists nearly always put human figures into the scene, often quite a few of them, and it was entertaining to see the emotional content (busily hurrying, lounging happily, flirting, etc.) that they could convey with body language.
I read some of the descriptions, but my German is rusty, so I freely admit I didn't always finish all of it. Many of them were poetic descriptions from the 19th century of the town in question, so I use that as my excuse.
I looked over two pages each morning, over breakfast, and was never disappointed.
Displaying 1 of 1 review