An ancient, gnarled tree, not the shepherd at its base, is the protagonist of Friedrich’s landscape.
Location: Alte Nationalgalerie
The woman in this painting invites us to share the view out her shuttered window, but leaves us to wonder about her thoughts.
Caspar David Friedrich, Woman at a Window
“Everything is illusory and death comes for us all!” proclaims this cheerful self-portrait.
Arnold Böcklin, Self-Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle
A medieval abbey in ruins, within an ancient forest that predates—and will outlast—man’s creations.
Caspar David Friedrich, Abbey in the Oak Forest
The greenery surrounding this couple is lush and exotic, but it’s clear that there’s trouble in paradise.
Édouard Manet, In the Conservatory
In a century obsessed with conquering nature, Friedrich paints a humble reminder of man’s limitations.
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