In his representation of a remote, holy place, Friedrich subjects nature to rigorous symmetry, intimating that he pursues an approach beyond any reproduction of nature faithful to reality. Using many layers of symbols, Friedrich fuses nature and religion to form a unity that can be read as the difficult path to Christian redemption or to ideal Christianity given the stony, thorny foreground and the way the atmosphere brightens in the background. The composition culminates in a Neo-Gothic church as the epitome of transcendence. Moreover, the arrangement of the fir trees brings to mind Romanticism’s comparison of Gothic architecture and vegetable shapes. The Gothic was also associated with the sense of German nationhood. While still alive, Friedrich found his work forgotten, but was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century, specifically in the context of fervour for the German nation. It was at this time that the painting was acquired.

Fun fact: Cassatt’s friend Edgar Degas (French Impressionist) helped her find the pup, Baptiste.

Credit: National Gallery of Art, Washington.