Johann Carl August Richter
This motif is available free of charge as a collectable postcard at hosts and information points along this third stage of the Malerweg trail.
*Born March 29th, 1785 in Dresden; † died in 1853 in Dresden, Johann Carl August Richter was a landscape and architecture draughtsman, painter, etcher, engraver and lithographer.
He found his picture motifs mainly in Saxony; most of his detailed vedutas feature views of Dresden and the surroundings.
Richter himself usually only engraved or etched the contours of a motif and then gave instructions on how to overlay delicate watercolours to specialized assistants, mostly probably students of the Dresden Art Academy or Meissen porcelain painters.
The differences in this final execution make each sheet unique. These coloured views were meant primarily as souvenirs for visitors.
Malerweg trail – 4th stage:
These are the places where artists painted:
Kirnitzschtal Valley: In the Kirnitzschtal Valley, wild rocky patches alternate with lovely expanses of grassy meadows. Several mills used to offer food and drinks to travelers and have grown into substantial inns.
Schrammsteine Rocks: The Schrammsteine Rocks are often considered the heart of Saxon Switzerland. 200 years ago, people seem to have been afraid to enter the barely accessible wilderness around the Schrammsteine Rocks, as there are relatively few pictures only of these rock formations.
Lichtenhain Waterfall: Since 1830 a moveable weir that dams a small brook can be released to allow a strong waterfall to plunge down. Those who could afford it rented pack animals or litter chairs to be carried from here to the Cow Stable Cave (Kuhstallhöhle).
Cow Stable Cave (Kuhstallhöhle): In this huge cave, formed by erosion of the layered sandstone sediment joints, painters found a natural phenomenon with an enormously emotional impact on human perception.
