Caspar David Friedrich — Infinite Landscapes (Unendliche Landschaften) is a special exhibition in the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin from 19 April to 4 August 2024.
In 2024, the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin will celebrate the 250th anniversary of Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840) with a special hundred-works exhibition of the most popular German Romantic movement painter. Caspar David Friedrich — Infinite Landscapes (Unendliche Landschaften) describes the type of paintings Friedrich is most famous for — allegorical landscapes, often with a minor human presence in diminished perspective. Caspar David Friedrich is currently very popular in Germany and time-slot reservation tickets are necessary to see the exhibition in the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin.
Tickets Update: Alte Nationalgalerie tickets for the Caspar David Friedrich — Infinite Landscapes (19 April to 4 August 2024) are already on sale in contrast to the usual Berlin habit of selling museum ticket timeslots only four weeks in advance. Many days sold out well before opening day making it best to book timeslots as soon as travel dates are known. Longer opening hours were announced for most days releasing many further timeslots.
Caspar David Friedrich Exhibition in the Nationalgalerie Berlin 2024
Caspar David Friedrich — Infinite Landscapes (Unendliche Landschaften) is a special exhibition to mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840). Over a hundred works by Germany’s favorite Romantic movement painter will be on display in the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) on Berlin’s Museum Island from 19 April to 4 August 2024.
The Nationalgalerie of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin owns (and permanently displays) one of the largest collections of Friedrich’s paintings. However, the special exhibition, in cooperation with the Kupferstichkabinett, will for the very first time present a comprehensive exhibition dedicated to the oeuvre of the most prominent painter of the German Romantic movement. Roughly 60 paintings and 50 drawings from Germany and abroad will be on display, including a number of world-famous, iconic works of art.
Further anniversary exhibitions to mark the 250th birthday of Caspar David Friedrich are planned for the Hamburger Kunsthalle and the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.
Caspar David Friedrich in Berlin
The exhibition’s central theme is the role played by the Nationalgalerie in rediscovering Friedrich’s art at the beginning of the 20th century. After the painter had faded into obscurity during the second half of the 19th century.
The Nationalgalerie paid tribute to Friedrich in 1906 in a comprehensive retrospective exhibition — the legendary Deutsche Jahrhundertausstellung, which included 93 of his paintings and drawings. Friedrich was lauded as a painter with an extraordinary proficiency for capturing light and atmosphere and as a pioneer of modern art.
A similar exhibition is long overdue in Berlin. The Nationalgalerie (and Prussian royals) played a major role through acquisitions and public exhibitions in fostering the artist’s initial renown during his own lifetime. The Alte Nationalgalerie houses one of the world’s largest collections of Friedrich’s paintings, including arguably two of his most iconic works that usually hang side-by-side in the permanent exhibition: “Mönch am Meer” (Monk by the Sea) and “Abtei im Eichwald” (Abbey Among Oak Trees).
They were first exhibited in 1810 and propelled Friedrich to fame when the crown prince of Prussia bought both. Look closely to see the gulls warning the monk and the birds in the window of the ruined church.
Opening Hours of the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin
The Alte Nationalgalerie on Berlin’s Museum Island will have special opening hours for the duration of the Caspar David Friedrich exhibition. As a minimum, the museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. It closes only at 20:00 on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 5 May to 4 August 2024, and also at 20:00 on Tuesday and Wednesday from 4 July to 4 August 2024.
As with most museums, the best times to visit are early morning or late afternoon. The Alte Nationalgalerie is generally far less crowded than the Pergamon (which has now closed for several years) or Neues Museum making the gallery a sound choice in the middle of the day too. However, expect it to be very busy for the entire Caspar Friedrich Exhibtion period.
Tickets for the Alte Nationalgalerie
Tickets for the Alte Nationalgalerie are usually around €12 at the ticket counter but €16 for the Caspar Friedrich Exhibition period, online or much simpler from Tiqets or GetYourGuide. Admission is free for children under 18.
Time-slot reservations are essential for the Caspar David Friedrich exhibition period (19 April to 4 August) and in contrast to regular museum tickets, time slots are available online for the entire exhibition period (and not only a few weeks in advance). Buy tickets as early as possible.
Many combination deals are available — most will require separate time-slot reservations, which may be either free (Museuminsel Ticket) or add a €6 surcharge (e.g. Museum Pass Berlin).
See Visit the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin to See 19th-Century Art for more tips and details. The three-day Museum Pass Berlin at €32 remains astonishingly good value (but a surcharge of €6 is payable to see the Caspar David Friedrich exhibition).
More on the Berlin State Museums (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin):
Note new opening times for many Berlin museums since mid-April 2024 — several are now closed on both Monday and Tuesday.
Timeslot reservations are sensible (and sometimes needed in busy periods) for the Alte Nationalgalerie, Gemäldegalerie, Neue Nationalgalerie, Neues Museum, and Pergamon – Das Panorama. (The Pergamon Museum itself is closed until 2027!). Timeslots are released only a few weeks in advance. Online tickets are available from GetYourGuide or SMB.
Many passes and multi-museum tickets offer savings (Kulturforum / Museums Island). Individual museum ticket prices range from €8 to €14 (€20 for special exhibitions). Online tickets are skip-the-line — go directly to the gallery entrance to scan the code.
For more general information on the Berlin State Museums:
- Top National Museums and Galleries in Berlin (brief overview)
- Berlin State Museums: What Is Seen Where? (a short description of the collections in the different museums)
- Opening Hours of Berlin State Museums (2024) — major changes since mid-April 2024!
- Ticket Prices for Berlin State Museums (prices for museums, temporary exhibitions, combination tickets, online time-slot reservations). Buying online from GetYourGuide is easy. A ticket with a QR or bar code is scanned directly at the entrance — no need to pass by the ticket desk (but pick up the free audio guide before entering).
- Save with the Berlin Museum Pass – 30 museums (including all the SMB museums) in three days for €32 – a fantastic savings deal.
- Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (official website in German & English).
News & Temporary Exhibitions in Berlin in 2024:
- 2024: Overview of Top Berlin Exhibitions in 2024, Caspar David Friedrich in the Alte Nationalgalerie, Frans Hals in the Gemäldegalerie, Neue Nationalgalerie (20th-century art) Hamburger Bahnhof Contemporary Art, Kupferstichkabinett (Prints and Drawings), and Photography Museum.
- Museums closed in 2024: The Pergamon Museum is closed until 2027 (some sculptures are on display in Das Panorama), the Museum Berggruen is closed until 2025 (much of its collection is traveling the world), the permanent collection of the German History Museum (Zeughaus) is closed but temporary exhibitions continue in the Pei Building.
More Museum Reviews and Museum-Specific Information:
- Alte Nationalgalerie — 19th-century art.
- Altes Museum — Greek, Etruscan, and Roman art.
- Bode Museum — sculptures from the Middle Ages, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical periods, Byzantine Art, and coins.
- Ethnological and Asian Art Museums in the Humboldtforum.
- Friedrichswerdersche Kirche (free admission) with a collection of 19th-century German sculptures.
- Gemäldegalerie — German and Dutch Old Masters and Italian paintings.
- Kunstgewerbemuseum (Decorative Arts).
- Musical Instruments Museum near the Berliner Philharmonie.
- Neue Nationalgalerie — 20th-century art.
- Neues Museum — Pre and Early History, Egyptian Collection with bust of Nefertiti.
- Pergamon Museum with Ishtar Gate — the whole Pergamonmuseum is closed from 2023 until 2027. Some Greek sculptures are shown in the
- Pergamon Museum Panorama Exhibition with Asisi panoramic painting and Greek statues.
- Photography — Helmut Newton collection and historic photos.
Previous Temporary Exhibitions in Berlin Museums:
- 2023: Top Special Temporary Exhibitions in 2023 — overview, in the Kulturforum, in the Neue Nationalgalerie, on Museum Island, and the Museum of Photography.
- 2022: Top Special Temporary Exhibitions in 2022 — overview, in the Kulturforum (David Hockney), in the Neue Nationalgalerie, on Museumsinsel, Hamburger Bahnhof contemporary art, and the Museum of Photography.
- 2021: Top Special Temporary Exhibitions in 2021 — including the reopening of the Neue Nationalgalerie, as well as the Ethnological and Asian Art Museums in the Humboldt Forum.
- 2020: Highlights, in Kulturforum, on Museum Island, in the Hamburger Bahnhof, smaller museums, and the opening of the Humboldt Forum.
