Steg mit Brückenkreuz vor Baumgruppe am Fluss (Footpath with a bridge across a stream near a clump of trees)
ca. 1803
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 8 1/16 × 11 1/4 in. (20.4 × 28.5 cm) Plate: 3 11/16 × 6 1/16 in. (9.3 × 15.4 cm) Image: 3 7/16 × 5 9/16 in. (8.8 × 14.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1927
Accession Number
27.36.2
Art Historical Context
Caspar David Friedrich, a figure of German Romanticism, created *Steg mit Brückreuz vor Baumgruppe Fluss* (Foot with a Bridge across a Stream near a Clump of Trees) around1803, early in his career. This etching captures the sublime beauty of nature, a hallmark of Romantic art that emphasized emotion, spirituality, and the awe-inspiring wilderness over classical ideals. At just 3 7/16 × 5 9/16 inches, the image invites close contemplation, evoking a solitary path leading to a simple footbridge amid shadowy trees and a winding stream—symbols often interpreted as life's journey or a threshold to ...
About the Artist
Caspar David Friedrich · 1774–1840
Leading artist of the German Romantic movement. He was particularly known for his symbolic and atmospheric treatment of landscape.