Why it matters
A tiny figure stands on a dune facing a dark sea and a vast grey sky that fills three quarters of the canvas. With no illusion of depth, it was Friedrich's most radical composition.
Did you know?
- It was painted in Dresden between 1808 and 1810.
- Friedrich asked for it to be hung above The Abbey in the Oakwood at the 1810 Berlin exhibition.
- King Frederick William III bought both paintings.
- Friedrich removed elements from the canvas after he had painted them.
Based on the Wikipedia article The Monk by the Sea (CC BY-SA 4.0).
