This painting is Abbey in an Oak Forest by Caspar David Friedrich (1809). It’s a very somber piece, with the ruins of a once-great cathedral in a barren oak forest. There are graves around the ruins, and a line of people are filing through the abbey entrance. Now the abbey and oak trees are very detailed, but past a certain point in the foreground trees are barely visible and the scene blends into nothing. This is very common in Friedrich’s works.
The composition brings up a lot of questions. Why is the abbey in ruins? It is unused, was there a natural disaster? But even more curious, why are there people entering this derelict abbey? Unfortunately, I can’t answer any of these questions, just raise them. There are some interesting points to be made, however, that may pertain to the answers. There is a theory in Germany that the Gothic architectural style is derived from the shape of the oak tree and its branches. So in a way, the oak forest is a very symbolic place to build a church, being a sort of natural cathedral. It may be hard to see in this painting, but it’s not impossible to imagine the oak trees flanking the ruin as a continuation or succession of man’s homage to spirituality. From here it’s easy to transition to discussions on philosophy and the importance of man.
I think it speaks to the impermanence of man in the short run, but also to everything in the long run. This grand abbey is now in ruins, and the graveyard really accentuates the fall of man’s structure. The great oak forest has now taken over, and the connection of the oak trees and the Gothic style suggests that spirituality is present in nature as well as society. But the trees themselves are leafless, maybe in anticipation of winter or because they’re dying. While they have greater longevity than man-made structures, even the mighty trees’ clocks are ticking down. So if everything has an end, is nothing sacred? Or should we celebrate the time that we and everything else have this moment? 
For me, the entire scene seems surreal. It’s something I would come across in a dream. The people look like ghosts passing through abbey that looks like it cannot be real. The trees are unlike most oaks that I know. And there is no definite background or horizon. Thanks for you analysis. I found this post interesting.
Mustafa I’m really glad I came across your blog! I’m a bit of an art history geek myself and this is a really interesting piece to analyze. I love the questions you asked at the end of the piece. That’s what I love about art, especially as it transgresses through time is that it never changes as do the thoughts they evoke. And that’s what’s amazing about pieces like this, and most art in general is that they leave everything up to interpretation. They let you make your own assumptions about the message and therefore art becomes extremely personal. Well done! I look forward to seeing more posts from you in the future!
I really like this piece. Do you think that maybe the oak trees are dead is supposed to be a symbolism of the Gothic Style being dead too? I like the questions that you asked and also the fact that you cannot answer. I share your believe that you can always propose questions about a piece, but the answers can only be found in the eye of the viewer. If you look through the church you see that it is in fact not a complete church just the front door. Could this door be a symbol of moving on passed this life? Once you have passed through the grave yard and gone through the door are the trees supposed to be the afterlife?