Virtually explore the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) in Berlin with Smarthistory as your guide
Some background
videos + essays
Link to the Alte Nationalgalerie's website
Caspar David Friedrich, Solitary Tree (or Lone Tree)
An ancient, gnarled tree, not the shepherd at its base, is the protagonist of Friedrich’s landscape.
Caspar David Friedrich, Woman at a Window
The woman in this painting invites us to share the view out her shuttered window, but leaves us to wonder about her thoughts.
Arnold Böcklin, Self-Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle
“Everything is illusory and death comes for us all!” proclaims this cheerful self-portrait.
Caspar David Friedrich, Abbey in the Oak Forest
A medieval abbey in ruins, within an ancient forest that predates—and will outlast—man’s creations.
Édouard Manet, In the Conservatory
The greenery surrounding this couple is lush and exotic, but it’s clear that there’s trouble in paradise.
Caspar David Friedrich, Monk by the Sea
In a century obsessed with conquering nature, Friedrich paints a humble reminder of man’s limitations.
