The Ruins of the old Kreuzkirche, Dresden
Bernardo Bellotto·1765
Historical Context
The Ruins of the Old Kreuzkirche, Dresden from 1765 documents the devastation wrought by the Prussian bombardment of 1760 during the Seven Years' War. Bellotto's paintings of Dresden's ruins constitute a remarkable visual record of wartime destruction in the eighteenth century. Bellotto arrived in Dresden in 1747, working for Elector Frederick Augustus II, and produced eighteen monumental views establishing his reputation independent of his uncle Canaletto. His Dresden canvases feature a shar...
Technical Analysis
The ruined church is rendered with the same meticulous precision Bellotto applied to intact buildings, the exposed structural elements and debris documented with archaeological thoroughness.
