
Caspar David Friedrich Painting Reproductions 2 of 5
1774-1840
German Romanticism Painter
Caspar David Friedrich was born on 5 September 1774 in the coastal town of Greifswald, then under Swedish rule. From an early age, he was confronted with loss, including the death of his mother and several siblings. These formative tragedies, set against the stark vistas of the Baltic region, would later shape a resolute perception of nature and its quiet intimations of the transcendental. Although there is some uncertainty regarding his family’s finances, he managed to receive a focused education that introduced him to art. Early guidance from Johann Gottfried Quistorp, who emphasized outdoor sketching, nurtured Friedrich’s engagement with nature as a spiritual and artistic resource.
The young painter continued his studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, where he refined his draftsmanship by copying classical casts and exploring the subtle power of light in Dutch landscape paintings. His instructors, drawing inspiration from Sturm und Drang, helped steer him beyond conventional approaches, prompting him to develop an introspective vision of nature. This period sowed the seeds of an aesthetic that would challenge the norms of traditional compositions and champion a heightened mood in landscape art.
After settling in Dresden in 1798, Friedrich ventured into printmaking, producing etchings and woodcut designs - though only in small runs. Gradually, he devoted himself to ink, watercolor, and sepia, focusing on the intricacies of atmosphere. He traveled to coastal and mountainous regions, quietly studying and recording phenomena such as morning mists and deep shadowed forests. These sketches and notes served as reference material for future paintings, in which measured observation mingled with an emerging emphasis on metaphysical reflection.
His vision earned attention when he submitted two sepia drawings to a Weimar competition in 1805. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, then overseeing the event, responded with uncharacteristic enthusiasm, recognizing qualities of solitude and sincerity in Friedrich’s work. Those who encountered it spoke of an artist who had uncovered a “tragedy of landscape” - a phrase that caught on, though it underscored the poignancy of Friedrich’s approach more than any unremitting gloom.
His early masterpiece, the altarpiece known as Cross in the Mountains (or Tetschen Altar), presented a striking treatment of the Christian crucifixion scene within the isolation of a mountainous landscape. The composition stirred controversy when critics objected to a religious scene framed so distinctly by natural surroundings. Friedrich defended his intentions, insisting that spiritual presence can be conveyed through precise observation of the natural world. This debate, although personally draining, elevated his profile beyond Dresden, and soon the Prussian Crown Prince took notice, purchasing two of his paintings and sealing Friedrich’s election to the Berlin Academy.
In 1818, he married Caroline Bommer, whose presence seemed to soften some of his artistic severity. Scenes painted shortly after their union display a gentler palette and occasionally feature human figures in closer communion with nature. Despite such personal uplift, Friedrich received no full professorship, possibly due to political mistrust of his nationalistic leanings. His patriotism often surfaced in landscapes reflecting German folklore and a resolute sense of cultural identity.
Later years brought diminished demand for his contemplative vistas as public taste swung toward the energy of modernization. Friedrich suffered a stroke in 1835 that impaired his ability to paint in oils. Yet he adapted, turning to watercolors and smaller compositions that still conveyed the quiet resonance of his earlier views. A few dedicated patrons, including the Russian royal family and the poet Vasily Zhukovsky, continued to support him, but overall he lived in modest circumstances.
When Friedrich died in Dresden on 7 May 1840, his passing attracted limited attention in an art world increasingly captivated by new movements. However, with time, his reputation underwent a steady revival. Contemporary viewers began to see the depth in his carefully measured skies and the hushed power of his ruined abbeys, barren trees, and moonlit shores. By interrogating the relationship between natural observation and spiritual enquiry, his paintings offered a profound commentary on solitude, mortality, and reverence. Today, his legacy stands as a defining contribution to the German Romantic movement, reminding us that nature, in its stillness, can speak as powerfully as any classical allegory or heroic tableau.
The young painter continued his studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, where he refined his draftsmanship by copying classical casts and exploring the subtle power of light in Dutch landscape paintings. His instructors, drawing inspiration from Sturm und Drang, helped steer him beyond conventional approaches, prompting him to develop an introspective vision of nature. This period sowed the seeds of an aesthetic that would challenge the norms of traditional compositions and champion a heightened mood in landscape art.
After settling in Dresden in 1798, Friedrich ventured into printmaking, producing etchings and woodcut designs - though only in small runs. Gradually, he devoted himself to ink, watercolor, and sepia, focusing on the intricacies of atmosphere. He traveled to coastal and mountainous regions, quietly studying and recording phenomena such as morning mists and deep shadowed forests. These sketches and notes served as reference material for future paintings, in which measured observation mingled with an emerging emphasis on metaphysical reflection.
His vision earned attention when he submitted two sepia drawings to a Weimar competition in 1805. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, then overseeing the event, responded with uncharacteristic enthusiasm, recognizing qualities of solitude and sincerity in Friedrich’s work. Those who encountered it spoke of an artist who had uncovered a “tragedy of landscape” - a phrase that caught on, though it underscored the poignancy of Friedrich’s approach more than any unremitting gloom.
His early masterpiece, the altarpiece known as Cross in the Mountains (or Tetschen Altar), presented a striking treatment of the Christian crucifixion scene within the isolation of a mountainous landscape. The composition stirred controversy when critics objected to a religious scene framed so distinctly by natural surroundings. Friedrich defended his intentions, insisting that spiritual presence can be conveyed through precise observation of the natural world. This debate, although personally draining, elevated his profile beyond Dresden, and soon the Prussian Crown Prince took notice, purchasing two of his paintings and sealing Friedrich’s election to the Berlin Academy.
In 1818, he married Caroline Bommer, whose presence seemed to soften some of his artistic severity. Scenes painted shortly after their union display a gentler palette and occasionally feature human figures in closer communion with nature. Despite such personal uplift, Friedrich received no full professorship, possibly due to political mistrust of his nationalistic leanings. His patriotism often surfaced in landscapes reflecting German folklore and a resolute sense of cultural identity.
Later years brought diminished demand for his contemplative vistas as public taste swung toward the energy of modernization. Friedrich suffered a stroke in 1835 that impaired his ability to paint in oils. Yet he adapted, turning to watercolors and smaller compositions that still conveyed the quiet resonance of his earlier views. A few dedicated patrons, including the Russian royal family and the poet Vasily Zhukovsky, continued to support him, but overall he lived in modest circumstances.
When Friedrich died in Dresden on 7 May 1840, his passing attracted limited attention in an art world increasingly captivated by new movements. However, with time, his reputation underwent a steady revival. Contemporary viewers began to see the depth in his carefully measured skies and the hushed power of his ruined abbeys, barren trees, and moonlit shores. By interrogating the relationship between natural observation and spiritual enquiry, his paintings offered a profound commentary on solitude, mortality, and reverence. Today, his legacy stands as a defining contribution to the German Romantic movement, reminding us that nature, in its stillness, can speak as powerfully as any classical allegory or heroic tableau.
105 Caspar David Friedrich Paintings

The Chasseur in the Woods c.1813/14
Oil Painting
$1381
$1381
Canvas Print
$84.11
$84.11
SKU: FCD-2930
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 65.7 x 46.7 cm
Private Collection
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 65.7 x 46.7 cm
Private Collection

Winter Landscape 1811
Oil Painting
$663
$663
Canvas Print
$54.72
$54.72
SKU: FCD-2931
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 33 x 46 cm
Staatliche Museum, Schwerin, Germany
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 33 x 46 cm
Staatliche Museum, Schwerin, Germany

Winter Landscape with Church 1811
Oil Painting
$645
$645
Canvas Print
$54.72
$54.72
SKU: FCD-2932
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 32.5 x 45 cm
National Gallery, London, UK
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 32.5 x 45 cm
National Gallery, London, UK

Swans in the Reeds c.1820
Oil Painting
$974
$974
Canvas Print
$54.72
$54.72
SKU: FCD-2933
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 34 x 44 cm
The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 34 x 44 cm
The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

The Monk by the Sea c.1808/10
Oil Painting
$1180
$1180
Canvas Print
$54.72
$54.72
SKU: FCD-3902
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 110 x 171.5 cm
Gemaldegalerie, Berlin, Germany
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 110 x 171.5 cm
Gemaldegalerie, Berlin, Germany

Fishing Boat by the Baltic Sea c.1830/35
Oil Painting
$1049
$1049
Canvas Print
$54.72
$54.72
SKU: FCD-5724
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 22 x 31.2 cm
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid, Spain
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 22 x 31.2 cm
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid, Spain

Easter Morning 1833
Oil Painting
$1381
$1381
Canvas Print
$54.72
$54.72
SKU: FCD-5725
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 43.7 x 34.4 cm
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid, Spain
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 43.7 x 34.4 cm
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid, Spain

Morning Fog in the Mountains 1808
Oil Painting
$1291
$1291
Canvas Print
$55.95
$55.95
SKU: FCD-9410
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 71 x 104 cm
Thuringian State Museum Heidecksburg, Rudolstadt , Germany
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 71 x 104 cm
Thuringian State Museum Heidecksburg, Rudolstadt , Germany

A Walk at Dusk c.1830/35
Oil Painting
$895
$895
Canvas Print
$54.72
$54.72
SKU: FCD-10256
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 33 x 43.7 cm
J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, USA
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 33 x 43.7 cm
J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, USA

View of a Harbor c.1815/16
Oil Painting
$1428
$1428
Canvas Print
$61.83
$61.83
SKU: FCD-10257
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 90 x 71 cm
Schloss Sanssouci, Potsdam, Germany
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 90 x 71 cm
Schloss Sanssouci, Potsdam, Germany

Landscape from Riesengebirge c.1810
Oil Painting
$1143
$1143
Canvas Print
$71.93
$71.93
SKU: FCD-10258
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 45 x 58.3 cm
Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow, Russia
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 45 x 58.3 cm
Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow, Russia

Greifswald in Moonlight 1817
Oil Painting
$834
$834
Canvas Print
$54.72
$54.72
SKU: FCD-10259
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 22.5 x 30.5 cm
Nasjonalgalleriet, Oslo, Norway
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 22.5 x 30.5 cm
Nasjonalgalleriet, Oslo, Norway

Woman before the Setting Sun c.1818
Oil Painting
$817
$817
Canvas Print
$54.72
$54.72
SKU: FCD-10260
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 22 x 30.5 cm
Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 22 x 30.5 cm
Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany

Riesengebirge (Memories of the Riesengebirge) 1835
Oil Painting
$1349
$1349
Canvas Print
$72.25
$72.25
SKU: FCD-11534
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 72 x 102 cm
The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 72 x 102 cm
The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

Hills and Ploughed Fields near Dresden n.d.
Oil Painting
$841
$841
Canvas Print
$54.72
$54.72
SKU: FCD-11535
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 22.2 x 30.4 cm
Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 22.2 x 30.4 cm
Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany

Drifting Clouds c.1820
Oil Painting
$627
$627
Canvas Print
$54.72
$54.72
SKU: FCD-11548
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 18.3 x 24.5 cm
Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 18.3 x 24.5 cm
Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany

Hut with a Well on the Rugen n.d.
Oil Painting
$562
$562
Paper Art Print
$52.23
$52.23
SKU: FCD-11549
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 13.8 x 21.5 cm
Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 13.8 x 21.5 cm
Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany

Sea Shore in Moonlight c.1835/36
Oil Painting
$1247
$1247
Canvas Print
$56.49
$56.49
SKU: FCD-11550
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 134 x 169.2 cm
Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 134 x 169.2 cm
Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany

The Cross in the Mountains 1812
Oil Painting
$1086
$1086
Canvas Print
$54.72
$54.72
SKU: FCD-11551
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 44.5 x 37.4 cm
Museum Kunst Palast , Dusseldorf, Germany
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 44.5 x 37.4 cm
Museum Kunst Palast , Dusseldorf, Germany

Waft of Mist c.1818/20
Oil Painting
$1008
$1008
Canvas Print
$54.72
$54.72
SKU: FCD-11552
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 32.5 x 42.4 cm
Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 32.5 x 42.4 cm
Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany

A Large Enclosure near Dresden c.1831/32
Oil Painting
$1338
$1338
Canvas Print
$60.46
$60.46
SKU: FCD-11553
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 73.5 x 102.5 cm
Galerie Neue Meister, Dresden, Germany
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 73.5 x 102.5 cm
Galerie Neue Meister, Dresden, Germany

The Evening Star c.1830/35
Oil Painting
$825
$825
Canvas Print
$54.72
$54.72
SKU: FCD-11554
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 32.1 x 45 cm
Goethe Museum, Frankfurt, Germany
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 32.1 x 45 cm
Goethe Museum, Frankfurt, Germany

Garden Terrace 1811
Oil Painting
$825
$825
Canvas Print
$54.72
$54.72
SKU: FCD-11555
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 53.5 x 70 cm
Schloss Sanssouci, Potsdam, Germany
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 53.5 x 70 cm
Schloss Sanssouci, Potsdam, Germany

The Cross in the Mountains 1808
Oil Painting
$1366
$1366
Canvas Print
$79.92
$79.92
SKU: FCD-11556
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 115 x 110 cm
Galerie Neue Meister, Dresden, Germany
Caspar David Friedrich
Original Size: 115 x 110 cm
Galerie Neue Meister, Dresden, Germany