The Bode Valley with Rocks and Trees; verso: Landscape Studies
1800–1840
Medium
Graphite, brush and gray wash
Dimensions
sheet: 6 11/16 x 8 11/16 in. (17 x 22 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Malcolm Hewitt Wiener Foundation Gift, 2006
Accession Number
2006.342a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
Karl Blechen, a leading German Romantic artist (1798–1840), masterfully evoked the wild, untamed beauty of Germany's Bode Valley in this compact drawing from around 1800–1840 The recto presents a dramatic vista of jagged rocks and sturdy trees, capturing nature's sublime power—a core theme of Romanticism, which celebrated emotion and the grandeur of the landscape over classical ideals. The verso reveals preparatory landscape studies, showcasing Blechen's process of observation and experimentation. Rendered in graphite, brush, and gray wash on a modest 6 11/16 x 8 11/16-inch sheet, the work hi...