An ancient, gnarled tree, not the shepherd at its base, is the protagonist of Friedrich’s landscape.
Romanticism Germany
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
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
In a century obsessed with conquering nature, Friedrich paints a humble reminder of man’s limitations.