Altarpiece Tetschen

Friedrich painted "The Cross in the Mountains" (Tetschen Altar) in 1807-1808, a revolutionary work that used landscape painting as an altarpiece. The painting shows a crucifix on a mountaintop surrounded by fir trees, bathed in the rays of the setting sun. When exhibited as an altar painting, it provoked intense controversy from critics who argued that landscape painting was inappropriate for religious purposes. Friedrich's response articulated the spiritual basis of his art.

Friedrich composes the scene with strict symmetry, the dark fir trees framing the crucifix against the radiant sky. The painting's deliberate flatness and decorative quality distinguish it from conventional landscape painting, emphasizing its function as an object of devotion.