The Abbey in the Oakwood by Caspar David Friedrich

The Abbey in the Oakwood (1810)

Caspar David Friedrich | Romanticism | Oil on canvas

Monks carry a coffin toward the gate of a ruined Gothic church, with two candles to light their way. Snow covers the ground, bare oaks stand around the ruin, a freshly dug grave waits in front, and the last of the sunset touches only the tops of the walls and trees. Friedrich based the ruin on his drawings of Eldena Abbey, a real abbey wrecked by soldiers in a long-ago war.

Did you know? At the 1810 Berlin Academy show, Friedrich asked for this painting to hang under his Monk by the Sea. The King of Prussia bought both, and today they hang side by side in the Alte Nationalgalerie.

Original held at Alte Nationalgalerie

Museum-quality giclée print on archival Enhanced Matte Art paper (200gsm) with fade-resistant pigment inks rated for 100+ years. Also available as gallery-wrapped canvas and custom framed.

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