Longing for Utopia
_{Painting and Sculpture of Romanticism}

The exhibition "Longing for Utopia – Painting and Sculpture of Romanticism" showcases this fascinating era in around 70 works, spanning from its beginnings around 1770 to Neo-Romanticism around 1900. In the chapters "Romantic Love", "Dreams and Nightmares" and "Back to Nature", the yearnings, ideals, and utopias of this era come to life.

Masterpieces by Caspar David Friedrich, Carl Spitzweg, Friedrich Nerly, and Karl Friedrich Schinkel illustrate the yearning for a soulmate and the unity between humanity and nature. They depict hope and fantastic realities alongside the abysses of the subconscious in dreams and nightmares. Romantic thinking continues to shape our society to this day. The hope for retreat and healing remains relevant in the face of the overwhelming nature of a rapidly changing, conflicted world. The Arp Museum, deeply rooted in Rhine Romanticism, provides the perfect setting for these discoveries. The exhibition opens up to the Riverside Sculpture Park, a trail featuring 15 artworks along the "Romantic Rhine", which serves as a backdrop to hopeful utopias and fairy-tale perspectives, bringing the past to life.