Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 13 works by Bernhard Rode in our catalogue
In short
To the gallery's eye, Bernhard Rode's most famous painting is Tod Friedrichs des Großen (1787), whose original hangs in the Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam. Alexander the Great and the Widow of Darius (1750) and The Artist with his Family (1745) complete the trio every eye recognises. Of the 13 works by Bernhard Rode in our catalog, the gallery presents the 13 most famous below, each original with its year, its museum and what makes it unique.
The scene unfolds through Tod Friedrichs des Großen, a work by the Prussian artist Bernhard Rode. Created about 1787, this painting captures a heavy moment from Brandenburg-Prussian history. It moves away from the lighthearted anecdotes often told about the King, choosing instead to ground its subject matter in a more somber reality. The air in the room feels thick with the weight of this historical transition.
The scene unfolds in a heavy, dramatic tension, caught between the sharp glint of metal and the soft folds of mourning drapery. A single light source cuts through the darkness, striking the polished surfaces of Greco-Roman armor and the pale skin of a kneeling woman. On the left, armored figures command the space, their helmets adorned with plumes that catch the light. They move toward a cluster of women gathered…
In this intimate portrait, The Artist with his Family, Bernhard Rode presents a quiet glimpse into a private domestic sphere. Painted about 1745, the work captures a sense of familial stability through its careful arrangement of figures. Rode, a Prussian artist and engraver, was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1725. He was the son of the goldsmith Christian Bernhard Rode and Anna Sophie, and his early life in Berlin would…
An intimate encounter unfolds within a dimly lit interior, where a man and a woman share a moment of silent connection. Seated upon a teal-colored settee, the man gazes toward the woman standing before him. Their interaction is anchored by the gentle, deliberate touch of their hands, a focal point that draws the eye through the shadows. The composition relies on a balanced tension between the seated and standing figures,…
The sky breathes in shades of peach, rose, and cream as the first light of day breaks through the heavy, muted grey of the receding night. High above the world, a central female figure moves with a fluid, rhythmic grace, her reddish-pink drapery swirling around her like a flame caught in a gentle breeze. She is Aurora, the dawn, and she does not merely arrive; she descends in a dance…
The Emperor of China Ploughs the First Furrow in Honour of Agriculture is an oil painting by Bernhard Rode, created about 1771. The canvas captures a ceremonial moment where the Emperor of China performs a ritualistic act of labor. He is positioned amidst the earth, guiding a plough through the soil. This singular movement of the blade through the dirt anchors the entire scene.
The oil painting titled Friedrich and the Feldscher was executed by the artist Bernhard Rode. This work dates to about 1794. The composition focuses on a specific historical incident involving Frederick the Great, the monarch of Prussia. The scene is rendered in a style characteristic of late Baroque or Rococo historical painting, utilizing classical techniques to establish the atmosphere of the period.
The air feels heavy with the scent of metallic armor and the electric tension of a mythic struggle. At the center of this swirling drama, a man emerges not merely as a king, but as a legend. He moves with the decisive grace of Perseus, his form draped in a cloak of deep crimson that cuts through the shadows. His armor catches a sudden, theatrical light, gleaming with a cold,…
The canvas is a stage of deep shadows and sudden, sharp light. In the center, a bundle of spears rises like a vertical spine, drawing the eye through a tangle of reaching limbs. A male figure kneels in the foreground, his dark plate armor catching a cold, metallic glint. He wears a laurel wreath upon his head, a quiet mark of victory amidst the heavy drapery of his red cloak.…
The air hangs heavy with the weight of impending conflict in Frederick the Great before the Battle of Torgau. This historical scene, painted by the Prussian artist Bernhard Rode, captures a moment of profound stillness before the storm of war. The subject matter focuses on King Frederick the Great of Prussia, a central figure of the era, as he navigates the quiet tension of a camp setting. Every shadow and…
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 5 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Bernhard Rode | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Gemäldegalerie |
Berlin | 8 | The Artist with his Family, The heard Lover, The Morning / Aurora Scattering Flowers |
 Sanssouci Palace |
Potsdam | 1 | Tod Friedrichs des Großen |
 Staatliche Museen zu Berlin |
Berlin | 1 | The Empress of China Culling Mulberry Leaves |
 National Museum in Kraków |
Krakow | 1 | Mythological Scene |
 National Museum in Warsaw |
Warsaw | 1 | Ancient scene of sacrifice |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
In this intimate portrait, The Artist with his Family, Bernhard Rode presents a quiet glimpse into a private domestic sphere. Painted about 1745, the work captures a sense of familial stability through its careful arrangement of figures. Rode, a Prussian artist and engraver, was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1725. He was the son of the goldsmith Christian Bernhard Rode and Anna Sophie, and his early life in Berlin would…
The scene unfolds in a heavy, dramatic tension, caught between the sharp glint of metal and the soft folds of mourning drapery. A single light source cuts through the darkness, striking the polished surfaces of Greco-Roman armor and the pale skin of a kneeling woman. On the left, armored figures command the space, their helmets adorned with plumes that catch the light. They move toward a cluster of women gathered…
The sky breathes in shades of peach, rose, and cream as the first light of day breaks through the heavy, muted grey of the receding night. High above the world, a central female figure moves with a fluid, rhythmic grace, her reddish-pink drapery swirling around her like a flame caught in a gentle breeze. She is Aurora, the dawn, and she does not merely arrive; she descends in a dance…
The Emperor of China Ploughs the First Furrow in Honour of Agriculture is an oil painting by Bernhard Rode, created about 1771. The canvas captures a ceremonial moment where the Emperor of China performs a ritualistic act of labor. He is positioned amidst the earth, guiding a plough through the soil. This singular movement of the blade through the dirt anchors the entire scene.
The scene unfolds through Tod Friedrichs des Großen, a work by the Prussian artist Bernhard Rode. Created about 1787, this painting captures a heavy moment from Brandenburg-Prussian history. It moves away from the lighthearted anecdotes often told about the King, choosing instead to ground its subject matter in a more somber reality. The air in the room feels thick with the weight of this historical transition.
The oil painting titled Friedrich and the Feldscher was executed by the artist Bernhard Rode. This work dates to about 1794. The composition focuses on a specific historical incident involving Frederick the Great, the monarch of Prussia. The scene is rendered in a style characteristic of late Baroque or Rococo historical painting, utilizing classical techniques to establish the atmosphere of the period.
Tod Friedrichs des Großen (1787), Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam. Alexander the Great and the Widow of Darius (1750) and The Artist with his Family (1745) come next.
62 years old: Tod Friedrichs des Großen dates from 1787, and Bernhard Rode was born in 1725.
Tod Friedrichs des Großen, Alexander the Great and the Widow of Darius, The Artist with his Family, The heard Lover, The Morning / Aurora Scattering Flowers, The Emperor of China Ploughs the First Furrow in Honour of Agriculture, Friedrich and the Feldscher, Allegory of Frederick the Great as Perseus, Allegory of Frederick the Great as the founder of the German Prince League and Frederick the Great before the Battle of Torgau. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 13 works by Bernhard Rode, dated from 1745 to 1794.
Mostly in Gemäldegalerie (Berlin), Sanssouci Palace (Potsdam) and Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (Berlin). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1780s: 3 of the 13 works on this page were made then, Tod Friedrichs des Großen among them.
On this page, the earliest is The Artist with his Family (1745) and the latest Friedrich and the Feldscher (1794).
Man (6), Woman (6) and Armor (3), across the 13 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 6 of the 13 works on this page.
The Artist with his Family, The heard Lover and The Morning / Aurora Scattering Flowers: the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin holds 8 of the works on this page.
