February 2007
Ten Tons of Greece
Munich is dotted with the monumental projects conceived by King Ludwig I: the Glyptothek, Feldherrnhalle, and Siegestor among them. Another, however, is just now being reintroduced to the public at the Neue Pinakothek. Between 1838 and 1850, Carl Rottmann painted 23 views of Grecian cities on large, transportable mortarboards for the King. Though conceived in the Romantic fever for all things Greek and Roman, the images exhibit a detached perspective characteristic of later naturalistic landscape painting. The 23 panels—weighing 400 kg each—were originally meant to serve as wall decoration in the Hofgarten, but were moved to the Neue Pinakothek when it opened in 1853. During the war, their size ruled out the possibility of being moved, and several images were severely damaged. A new exhibit at the Neue Pinakothek explores the creation of the “Zehn Tonnen Hellas” (Ten Tons of Greece) by way of Rottmann’s sketches and other technological insights. One non-restored painting is a somber reminder of the ravages of war. The exhibit is on display until April 29.
