Louis Friedrich Sachse and the making of Berlin as a capital of art

Abstract

This review discusses the Der Pionier by Anna Ahrens. The book

offers a monographic study of Louis Friedrich Sachse, an entrepreneur at

the forefront of the Berlin art market. Based on extensive research

into the letters of Sachse, Ahrens presents the story of an eager and intelligent man who worked for decades to achieve his goal: to help Berlin establish itself as an art capital in Europe. Sachse’s broad interests led him from lithography to daguerreotype and photography, from collecting drawings and watercolours to starting his own salon for contemporary art. Through the tracing of extensive historical interconnections, Der Pionier offers valuable insights on the connection between artistic reproductions, contemporary art, the development of the art scene in general and the different strata of the Berlin society in the nineteenth century.