Fürstenzug & Alchemy

Fine Art PhotographyPanorama PhotographyHasselbladTravel Photography
Written By Shehzad Khan Niazi

Making of a panorama and the history of Fürstenzug (Procession of Princes), the world’s largest porcelain artwork.

Do you know that the Fürstenzug (Procession of Princes), a monumental public mural and the world's largest porcelain artwork, located in the old town of Dresden, Germany, owes its existence to alchemy?

When planning a trip to Dresden, I learned about this mural, and as I researched its history, dimensions, and location, a thought occurred to me: could I make an undistorted panorama image? I doubted it, but decided to try photographing this 102-meter (334-foot) long and 35 feet tall mural. Though surely not as arduous as alchemy, creating a panorama image turned out to be an exacting exercise.

I made scouting images at night and in the morning using XCD 25mm lens on Hasselblad 907X CFV100c.

There are three ways to create a panorama: use an ultrawide-angle lens, use either a tilt-shift lens or a technical camera with shift capabilities to make multiple images and stitch them in post-production, or use a technical camera with movements. No ultrawide-angle lens can capture a mural of these dimensions when facing it head-on. No tilt-shift lens—not even a 17mm with its field curvature and vignetting—would work. Even a wide-angle large-format lens on a technical camera would be challenging, though likely doable. I selected the Cambo WRS-1600, Hasselblad CFV100C, and Cambo WTSA-840 Wide-Tilt/Swing Lens panel with a 40mm Rodenstock HR Digaron-W Lens, which I have used extensively.

Initially, I tried my Cambo WRS 1600 in horizontal orientation, hoping that fewer images would simplify the stitching process. However, the mural's height prevented me from capturing both its top and bottom edges. Switching to vertical orientation meant the number of images needed to cover the 334-foot long wall increased exponentially, creating three problems:

  1. Making accurate notes for overlap between dozens of images

  2. Adjusting exposure using the histogram during changing light conditions

  3. Maintaining consistent distance from the wall, as variations would prevent the mural's patterns from aligning in post-production

To address the third issue, I measured steps from the wall behind me to position the tripod's front leg consistently. I made about two dozen images to stitch later. However, during post-processing, two images refused to align properly, so I divided the panorama into three parts, though ultimately a four-panel composition worked better. Final image was 280 inches long and 36 inches tall.

Final panorama image.

Fürstenzug

What is the Fürstenzug?

The Fürstenzug (Procession of Princes) is a monumental public mural located in the old town of Dresden, Germany. This extraordinary work of art holds the distinction of being the largest porcelain painting in the world, stretching an impressive 102 meters (334 feet) in length and standing 10.5 meters high, covering a total area of 968 square meters.

The mural is composed of approximately 23,000 individual tiles made from the famous Meissen porcelain, meticulously arranged without visible joints to create the appearance of a seamless painting. Located on the exterior wall of the Stallhof (Stable Courtyard) of Dresden Castle, near the famous Frauenkirche, this masterpiece depicts a grand procession of Saxon rulers spanning nearly 750 years of history.

The Stallhof, once the medieval venue for jousting tournaments and chivalric competitions within Dresden's Royal Palace grounds, now serves as a cultural event space nestled between the Johanneum and the Long Arcade. Its exterior wall facing Schlossplatz bears the magnificent Fürstenzug, a 101-meter panoramic mural chronicling the Wettin dynasty's centuries of Saxon rule through a grand cavalcade of mounted figures. Artist Wilhelm Walther originally created this monumental tribute between 1872 and 1876 using the sgraffito technique to commemorate the Wettin family's 800-year legacy, but deterioration from Dresden's harsh weather necessitated an innovative solution. From 1904 to 1907, craftsmen painstakingly recreated the entire composition using over 24,000 Meissen porcelain tiles, immortalizing not only the 35 Saxon nobles, princes, and monarchs but also 59 accompanying figures representing scholars, artists, tradespeople, and common folk who shaped the region's history.

Fürstenzug and Alchemy

The Fürstenzug's current iteration traces back to a remarkable confluence of events and ambitions: the pursuit of creating gold that serendipitously led to discovery of dense red stoneware and eventually to Europe's first successful porcelain production in Dresden. This achievement fulfilled a long-held European desire to replicate what had previously been available only as exotic and precious imports from China. Here's how this alchemical journey shaped the Procession of Princes we see today.

While alchemy never succeeded in turning base metals into gold, its pursuit led directly to the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, established in 1710 as Europe's first successful producer of hard-paste porcelain. The German states, especially Saxony, pioneered the transformation of porcelain from intimate tableware and decorative objects into architectural-scale artistic statements. The development of porcelain painting techniques in the 18th and 19th centuries at Meissen, combined with advances in kiln technology and tile production, enabled German artisans to create weather-resistant monumental artworks capable of withstanding Central Europe's harsh climate. This artistry and technology have a storied history with mythical roots in transmutation.

The Lure of Transmutation

Transmutation—turning base metals into gold—might have been a fool's errand, yet it produced unintended consequences. Its history is shrouded in myth, mystery, and intrigue. From mythological figures like King Midas and Hermes Trismegistus to historical figures like Zosimos of Panopolis (c. 300 CE), Wei Boyang (c. 142 CE, China), and Nicolas Flamel (c. 1330-1418, France), all have been rumored to have mastered this elusive art.

Even a towering figure like Sir Isaac Newton could not resist its lure. For more than thirty years, the man who decoded gravity and invented calculus spent his nights in a secret laboratory, breathing mercury fumes and scribbling over a million words about turning lead into gold. The greatest scientific mind of his age was hell-bent on seeking the Philosopher's Stone, decoding ancient texts with the conviction that Moses and Hermes had hidden the secret of transmutation in biblical verses and Egyptian myths. This obsession likely drove him half-mad with mercury poisoning in 1693, yet he never stopped believing. The supreme irony? Newton died as Master of the Royal Mint, guardian of England's real gold, having never created a single speck of it himself.

If a sagacious figure like Isaac Newton couldn't resist the temptation, it's no surprise that Johann Friedrich Böttger, a teenage alchemist, got hooked and decided to try his hand at creating gold—even boasting about accomplishing it. Böttger's boast about turning lead into gold proved to be his undoing and Europe's fortune.

From Failed Gold to White Gold

In 1701, Augustus the Strong, the debt-ridden Elector of Saxony, imprisoned the young charlatan and demanded he deliver on his promise or face the consequences. Desperate and captive, Böttger failed repeatedly at making gold but stumbled upon something else: first, in 1706, a remarkable red stoneware that could be polished like precious stone, and then, in 1708, the secret that had eluded Europe for centuries—true hard-paste porcelain. Augustus immediately recognized that this "white gold" could prove more valuable than real gold and established the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory in 1710, keeping Böttger and his workers virtual prisoners to guard the secret. The tragic alchemist never escaped his gilded cage, dying at 37 from toxic fumes and alcoholism that came with his servitude, but his accidental discovery enriched Saxony for centuries. The irony was exquisite: a failed gold-maker created an industry worth more than any alchemist's fantasy, and Meissen porcelain, marked with its famous crossed swords, became Europe's most prestigious luxury, finally breaking China's ancient monopoly.

Murals and Porcelain Painting: The German Artistic Tradition

This alchemical accident laid the foundation for a uniquely German artistic tradition. Monumental murals have served as powerful vehicles for political legitimation and cultural memory throughout history, from the frescoes of Renaissance Italy to the revolutionary murals of 20th-century Mexico. In Germany, however, this tradition took a distinctive turn through the marriage of mural art with porcelain technology.

This technical mastery reached its apotheosis in Dresden's Fürstenzug, where traditional historical narrative painting merged with industrial-age ceramic engineering to create what architectural historian Heinrich Magirius called "a synthesis of medieval processional art, baroque glorification, and modern material innovation." The use of porcelain for public monuments represents a distinctly Germanic contribution to world art, reflecting both the region's technological prowess and its deep cultural investment in preserving historical memory through durable media.

History of the Fürstenzug

Original Creation (Late 19th Century):

The Fürstenzug was initially created as a painted mural at the end of the 19th century. However, the original painting quickly deteriorated due to exposure to rain, snow, and other environmental factors, becoming barely visible after just a few years.

Porcelain Transformation (1904-1907):

To preserve this important historical artwork, a remarkable decision was made to recreate the entire mural in durable Meissen porcelain tiles. Between 1904 and 1907, master craftsmen produced over 23,000 ceramic tiles, carefully reproducing every detail of the original painting. The tiles were installed seamlessly, creating the illusion of a continuous painted surface.

World War II Survival (1945):

Miraculously, the Fürstenzug survived the devastating Allied bombing raids of Dresden in February 1945 largely intact. While much of Dresden's historic center was destroyed, the ceramic tiles of the Fürstenzug withstood the intense heat of the firestorms. The mural emerged heavily covered in soot but structurally sound.

GDR Restoration:

During the East German (GDR) period, the Fürstenzug underwent careful cleaning and restoration. Remarkably, only a few hundred of the more than 20,000 tiles needed replacement—testament to the durability of the Meissen porcelain and the quality of the original installation.

The Historical Procession:

The mural depicts 94 figures, including all Saxon rulers from Conrad the Great (1127-1156) to King George (1902-1904), who was still a prince when depicted. Each ruler is shown with their name and dates of reign. About half of the figures are mounted on horseback, and the procession includes various period-appropriate weapons such as swords, spears, and foils.

Ruler Name Epithet/Title Reign Period Years Ruled
Conradthe Great1127-115629 years
Ottothe Rich1156-119034 years
Albrechtthe Proud1190-11955 years
Dietrichthe Afflicted1195-122126 years
Henrythe Exalted1221-128867 years
Albrechtthe Degenerate1288-130719 years
Frederickthe Bitten1307-132417 years
Frederickthe Serious1324-134925 years
Frederickthe Strict1349-138132 years
Frederickthe Conflictual1381-142847 years
Frederickthe Meek1428-146436 years
Elector Ernst—1464-148622 years
Albrechtthe Brave1486-150014 years
Frederickthe Wise1486-152539 years
Georgethe Bearded1500-153939 years
Johnthe Resistant1525-15327 years
Johann Friedrichthe Magnanimous1532-154715 years
Henrythe Pious1539-15412 years
Moritz—1547-15536 years
August—1553-158633 years
Christian I—1586-15915 years
Christian II—1591-161120 years
Johann Georg I—1611-165645 years
John George II—1656-168024 years
John George III—1680-169111 years
John George IV—1691-16943 years
August IIthe Strong1694-173339 years
August III—1733-176330 years
Frederick Christian—1763< 1 year
Frederick Augustthe Just1763-182764 years
Antonthe Good1827-18369 years
Frederick August II—1836-185418 years
Johann—1854-187319 years
Albert—1873-190229 years
George(depicted as prince)1902-19042 years
Notable Observations:
- Longest reign: Henry the Exalted (67 years, 1221-1288)
- Shortest reign: Frederick Christian (less than 1 year, 1763)
- Most common name: Frederick (7 rulers) and Johann/John (4 rulers)
- 👑 Augustus the Strong established the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory
- The procession spans 777 years of Saxon history (1127-1904)

References

Meissen Porcelain History & Technical Innovation:

  1. San Francisco Airport Museum - "Evolution of a Royal Vision: The Birth of Meissen Porcelain"

  2. The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Meissen Manufactory Collection

  3. Meissen Porcelain Museum Official Site

The Fürstenzug and Architectural Porcelain:

  1. City of Dresden Official - "Stallhof and Procession of Princes"

  2. Wikipedia - "Fürstenzug" (well-documented with citations)

German Ceramics in Architecture:

  1. Bard Graduate Center - "European Ceramics in the Age of Historicism and Art Nouveau"

  2. AGROB BUCHTAL - German Architectural Ceramics (Since 1755)

Shehzad Khan Niazi

Raconteur

Words + Images = Memorable Stories.

I capture the significance of events by making evocative photographs of people, places and things to tell memorable stories about our collective living.

https://www.photoadroit.com
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