Abbey among Oak Trees (1809 or 1810) by Caspar David Friedrich.
More from the Google Art Project. In these views we get to see some of the subtleties in the work of Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840), a master at rendering fine gradations of light and shade. The paintings are from the Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin, and Google’s photographs look far better than any book reproductions I’ve seen (assuming you have a decent monitor).
Moonrise over the Sea (1822) by Caspar David Friedrich.
Solitary Tree (1822) by Caspar David Friedrich.
Gothic Church on a Rock by the Sea (1815) by Karl Friedrich Schinkel.
At the same gallery are these paintings by Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781–1841), for a while a painter pursuing similar atmospheric ends. He apparently abandoned painting for architecture and stage design after seeing Friedrich’s work. Many of his paintings feature architectural fantasies where Friedrich, in true Romantic style, tended to favour ruins.
Castle by the River (1820) Karl Friedrich Schinkel.
Previously on { feuilleton }
• Winter light
• The art of Karl Friedrich Schinkel, 1781–1841