German Painter and Architect, 1781-1841 German architect and painter. As state architect of Prussia (from 1815), he executed many commissions for Frederick William III and other royal family members. He based his work on the revival of various historical styles. His mausoleum for Queen Louise (1810) and the brick and terra-cotta Werdersche Kirche, Berlin (1821 ?C 30), are among the earliest Gothic Revival designs in Europe. Other works include the Greek Revival Schauspielhaus (1818) and Altes Museum (1822 ?C 30), both in Berlin. In 1830 Schinkel became director of the Prussian Office of Public Works; his work as a city planner resulted in new boulevards and squares in Berlin.
Study for a Monument to Queen Louise
1810 Watercolour, 720 x 520 mm Nationalgalerie, Berlin The picture shoes a design by the architect Schinkel for a Gothic mausoleum for the Prussian Queen Luise. This warm-hearted patron of the arts was much mourned, and Schinkel chose the Gothic style both as a patriotic expression, and for its echoes of organic natural forms, hinting at nature's processes of renewal and thus of eternal life. The complex patterns of vaulted arches receding into a light-filled interior evoke the German forests. As things turned out, the grieving king preferred a classical scheme, which still stands in the park at Charlottenburg, and economic conditions after the War of Liberation left Schinkel's grander vision for a vast Gothic cathedral in Berlin unrealized. Author: SCHINKEL, Karl Friedrich Title: Study for a Monument to Queen Louise Form: graphics , 1801-1850 , German , study