1822, Caspar David Friedrich, Meadows near Greifswald -- Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) (special exhibition)
From the museum label: Friedrich made this painting of drained peatlands around Greifswald at a time when scientists were beginning to study the ecology of the region's marshes. Beyond the former wetlands, which were used as grazing grounds, are the city's churches and civic buildings, recognizable even at this small scale. The steely hues of the architecture correspond to the optical principle of aerial perspective, whereby objects in the distance appear blue. Greifswald seems to merge into the sky, creating a contrast with the bright green fields below.
1822, Caspar David Friedrich, Meadows near Greifswald -- Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) (special exhibition)
From the museum label: Friedrich made this painting of drained peatlands around Greifswald at a time when scientists were beginning to study the ecology of the region's marshes. Beyond the former wetlands, which were used as grazing grounds, are the city's churches and civic buildings, recognizable even at this small scale. The steely hues of the architecture correspond to the optical principle of aerial perspective, whereby objects in the distance appear blue. Greifswald seems to merge into the sky, creating a contrast with the bright green fields below.