Daniel Chodowiecki. Sketches for the sculptural decoration of the Französicher Dom

As initiator of a reform that established the Akademie der Künste as an artists’ society in 1790, and as its rector and director, the painter and printmaker Daniel Chodowiecki (1726-1801) was one of the defining figures of the Prussian Academy of Arts. His series of 42 sketches executed in red chalk serve as designs for the sophisticated sculptural programme of the tower which was built next to the Hugenot church on Berlin’s most elegant square, the Gendarmenmarkt. They bear a special place in Chodowiecki’s oeuvre, offering a fascinating glimpse into Chodowiecki’s intensive and unique engagement with the art of sculpture. As counterparts to the designs by his friend and competitor Rode for the tower of the Deutscher Dom, which is located on the opposite side of the square, the ensemble provides insights into the art of sculpture in Frederican Berlin.