FINE ARTS

KING LUDWIG II ‒ FINE ARTS GENIUS

Even today, King Ludwig II’s passion for everything beautiful, his great creative drive, his absolute determination to turn individual dreams into reality, to witness magical happenings and to change the world in line with his vision mean that he continues to be an exceptional figure in cultural history.

King Ludwig II’s love of art and music was limitless and his admiration for Richard Wagner bordered on deification. In 1861, he saw Lohengrin performed for the first time and, in 1864, the year of his coronation, he settled the musician’s debts. Right up until Wagner’s death in 1883, Ludwig remained loyal to the composer as a patron – despite the many critical voices. The legends of Lohengrin, Tristan and Parsifal were King Ludwig II’s arcadia which was then reflected in his incomparable fantastical castle buildings.

Along with Wagner’s operas, which were congenially reproduced in the stage-like architecture of Neuschwanstein, King Ludwig II also commemorated the rococo style of French absolutism in his two other palaces, Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee, both of which are true icons of opulence.