Europe in a river - the many functions of the Rhine
The Bundeskunsthalle museum in Bonn has organized the first biographical exhibition devoted to the Rhine. The river's 2,000 years of cultural history are explored through some 300 exhibits.
The artistic perspective
Carriages and rafts travel along the Rhine near the city of Koblenz, overlooked by the Ehrenbreitstein fortress. Johann Adolf Lasinsky painted this busy scenery in 1828. An exhibition in Bonn, at the Bundeskunsthalle museum, explores the different artistic renditions of the Rhine - the lifeline of Europe.
Impressive twists
This picture of the Middle Rhine from an aerial perspective shows the imposing curves of this waterway, one of the busiest in the world. From its source in Switzerland, it covers some 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) before pouring into the North Sea in the Netherlands.
A river filled with treasures
Celts, Romans and Germans all found gold in the Rhine. At the beginning of the 19th century, these ducat coins were issued from the Rhine's gold by the Grand Dukes of Baden. The Rhine still washes up gold to this day - an estimated 200 kilograms (440 pounds) a year. Treasure hunters also keep fantasizing about the legendary Nibelungs' treasure, said to be buried in the river.
Light play
The great English landscape painter William Turner (1775-1851) was also inspired by the Rhine's romantic backdrops. In his paintings he let rocks, castles and ships bathe in flickering light and color effects. He was one of the most important contributors to Rhine Romanticism.
The Rhine as a border
World War I had ended. In 1918, the photographer Willy Römer captured these French soldiers overlooking the Deutsches Eck, or German Corner, where the Rhine and Moselle Rivers converge in Koblenz. The Rhine was a hard-fought dividing line between France and Germany at the time.
Mythology in the river
The German artist Anselm Kiefer has dealt with biblical and Germanic mythology in his works. This 1982 piece, "Faith, Hope, Love and Father, Son, Holy Spirit," builds in elements of the Rheinaue leisure park. It is also part of the exhibition.
Where Siegfried defeated the dragon
One of the most famous locations along the Rhine is the Drachenfels near Bonn. According to the Nibelungs' legend, this is where Siegfried fought the dragon that was guarding the princess. Siegfried defeated it and brought the liberated princess back to her parents in Worms. The landscape painter Caspar Johann Nepomuk Scheuren was also inspired by the site, painting this work in 1851.
Traditional Carnival figures
Jodocus Schlappal was a Cologne illustrator and lithographer. In 1825, he documented a Carnival parade held in his native city on the Rhine. Parading revelers, decorated horses and parade floats traditionally mocking figures of power are all part of the picture.