Why it matters
A damaged ancient oak stands alone in a wide plain, its dead crown and broken branches resembling a cross, while a shepherd shelters beneath it. Friedrich painted it as a morning scene paired with an evening view, Moonrise by the Sea.
Did you know?
- It was painted in 1822.
- It was commissioned by the banker Joachim Heinrich Wilhelm Wagener.
- It was part of the founding collection of the Berlin National Gallery in 1861.
Based on the Wikipedia article The Lonely Tree (CC BY-SA 4.0).
