Department of Art History

Wilhelm Schadow (1788-1861) was a man with many capacities and talents, a gifted teacher, a successful academic director, a productive writer on art, and an innovative theoretician. Above all, he was an intriguing painter and, as the founder of the Düsseldorf school of painting, a globally influential figure. His career and work mirror the turbulent history of the first half of the nineteenth century, a time of upheaval and new beginnings. This catalogue of the artist’s paintings (accompanied by works on paper related to the evolution or later reproduction of Schadow’s oils) offers the first comprehensive overview of this prominent painter. The succinct yet comprehensive entries shed light on each work from various perspectives—from style and symbolism to attribution and provenance, from biographies to the religious and political background. Along with an introduction to his life and work, this richly illustrated book thus provides stimulating insight into Schadow’s masterful creations as both coveted portraitist and prominent historical painter.