Gate in the rocks by Karl Friedrich Schinkel - a work of a discouraged painter by the German art icon

When abandoning one craft can lead to the successful development of another.

Karl Friedrich Schinkel wrote his name in German history by being one of the greatest architects of his era — during the days of the Kingdom of Prussia. Aside from his great architectural vision, Schinkel was a well-crafted painter. He worked on detailed depictions of architectural objects, some of them being imaginary ones — as well as depicting landscapes he saw in his journeys around Germany and Europe.

Schinkel was a gifted artist, and his attention to detail was great. However, he decided to pursue a career in architecture after being discouraged (likely, in a good way) by the works of another German artist — Caspar David Friedrich. He eventually became the father of the German Romanticism movement. Schinkel did not feel enough potential to create as impressive works as Friedrich’s Romanticism paintings.

The development of his career as an architect showed that Schinkel made the right decision. However, such works as Gate In The Rocks deserve praise and attention.

Gate in the rocks (1818) by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Oil on canvas, 74 cm x 48 cm. Source: Wikipedia Commons.

The scenery Schinkel depicted can be found in Italy — he created this artwork after his first journey to the Italian mountains. It’s a calming scene with majestic landscapes and a few human figures around. The one is almost hidden and is not instantly recognizable — the figure of a monk.

Close up on the details of the painting.

He quietly sits under the bell, enjoys the peaceful scenery around, and prays. The monk sees a group of three men with a mule traveling on a narrow road. One of them is looking at a herd of goats in the valley. Further in the background, you can see some old buildings — possibly, an old castle or monastery, and a mountain hut.

Schinkel’s painting does not have as much mysticism and uncertain motifs as Friedrich loved to depict, but the aesthetics have some similarities. Still, the Prussian painter followed the same principle as the Romanticism master he admired — nature is above humans. We are just small pieces, surrounded by the never-ending and captivating landscapes and forces of nature. The admiration is there.

Unfortunately, Schinkel created a small number of paintings during his lifetime. After he focused on his architecture projects, painting remained his spare-time hobby. He often displayed some of Friedrich’s influences and mixed those with the guidelines of Neoclassicism. His influence also added an extra layer of dedication to developing the architect’s craft to the fullest.

Of course, the fact that Schinkel did not pursue a career as a full-time painter — does not take anything away from his legacy. Schinkel left plenty of beautiful marks on the streets of Berlin. Fine examples include the Friedrichswerder Church which became the first Neo-Gothic church in Berlin as well as National Monument for the Liberation Wars and Konzerthaus Berlin. Schinkel also worked on the project of Charlottenhof Palace together with his student Ludwig Persius. This Neoclassicism building was later recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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