Like many of his paintings by Caspar David Friedrich, "Northern Landscape" is characterized by a clear contrast of colors. At first glance, he shows in this painting that there is a clear break between the foreground and the background. This is characterized by dark blue and gray tones while dominated by a lighter brown and beige front.

What the picture itself reproduces, however, can be described more precisely. Since this is a northern landscape, as the title of the painting already promises, the painting is characterized by exactly the characteristics that make up a northern European landscape. In the foreground smaller hills are recognizable, which are hardly influenced by vegetation. Apart from some grasses and mosses there is no vegetation. Instead, large parts of the ground are covered in snow. The winter has arrived, because even in the background are often visible to the eye of the beholder snow-covered areas. A big difference to the foreground, however, is not only in the mentioned color scheme. While there are only small elevations in front, the background of the picture is characterized by large hills and even mountains. These look scary through the heavily darkened sky, compared to the rather friendly colors in the foreground of the picture.

These contrasts of the picture are only connected by a small path that leads from the bright front part of the picture into the gloomy area. There is no trace of human civilization in the entire picture. Only along this path are two silhouettes of wanderers walking on the pathway into the darkness of the mountains. Apparently, however, the sight of them left a strong impression on them, as they apparently stopped in the middle of the transition to direct their gazes towards the mystical mountains.

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Northern Landscape, Spring by Caspar David Friedrich. Available as an art print on canvas, photo paper, watercolor board, uncoated paper or Japanese paper.
sand · desolate · dunes · people · desert · yellow · blue · grey · beautiful · northern · landscape · Spring