The 19th-century German architect and artist, Karl Friedrich Schinkel, was among the great personalities in the world of architecture. Classicism and Romanticism moved towards Modern Architecture in his buildings; his Collection of Architectural Designs led the way to our contemporary understanding of the work of the architect; and as a state master building he shaped the architectural culture of his time.

A universal scholar and versatile artist, Schinkel led an intensive, if not boundless exchange with the society and the developments of the 19th century. The (equally) ingenious portrayal by one of the most renowned art and architectural historians of our time displays in richly illustrated thematic chapters the dialogue between Schinkel as a person, his oeuvre and his cultural world.