An exhibition organised by the National Museums in Berlin - Kupferstichkabinett (Museum of Prints and Drawings), in conjunction with the Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung Munich.

On 6 September 1812 the city of Moscow, at the time occupied by Napoleonic troops, was burning. The fire, probably started by the Russian side in a strategic move is to be regarded as a poignant visual marker symbolizing the turning point of the Napoleonic wars and the subsequent restructuring of Europe. A few months later, during the Christmas period, Schinkel restaged the event and created a sophisticated optical diorama, which was enthusiastically received by the Berlin audience. The exhibition will open on the 200th anniversary of this event, with one of the highlights being a reconstruction of this impressive construction.

The Kupferstichkabinett's exhibition planned in cooperation with designated academics, experts and renowned museums, draws on a number of international loans and has set itself an ambitious goal: Not only does it dedicate itself to aspects of Schinkel's oeuvre regarding the history of architecture and building aesthetics, which hitherto dominate the research activity; rather, the entire Schinkel art universe is investigated, newly appraised and translated into descriptive arrangements of art works with special attention given to the transformation achievements of the early historism period. The visitor enters into an experimental narrative and is presented with an integral view combining diverse art forms and subjects: Architecture, interior design and decorative arts, stage design and perspective images, paintings, watercolours, drawings and lithographs, the buildings and landscapes, views, fantasies and allegories, amongst them icons such as the designs for the "The Magic Flute" and the most important programmatic paintings by Schinkel as well as models made especially for this occasion.

From 1st February to 12th May 2013 is the exhibition is on view at the Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung Munich.