Mackenzie May

2nd period
12-14-16

Abbey in the Oakwood by Casper David Friedrich is an oil painting depicting a

broken, old stone wall in a gloomy, dark, and depressing cemetery with black
crosses lining the ground with a group of black robed figures near the walls
entrance looking away from the viewer. The title Abbey in the Oakwood helps
give an idea of what the different figures in the painting are like how the
word Abbey and the cemetery theme can imply that the stone wall
belonged that to a church and that the figures are most likely monks or nuns
due to their relevance to churches, and the black robes of the monks, the
dead trees, cemetery, and the dark atmosphere imply death and destruction.
The painting creates this feeling of death by blending the elements of value,
color, line, texture, form, and space. Value was no doubt used to create the
dark hazy shadows that line the ground to represent depression, age, death,
and the overall feeling of isolation. The shadows help show the three
dimensions of the wall and the single ray of light bouncing off the wall directs
the viewers eyes towards the church as for its the only object that has some
form of light on it. Straight lines were used to create the trunks of the trees
and the sides of the church as well as the outline of the crosses, and pointed
curved line were used to create the various branches of the trees and the
curved point of the window pane. Positive space was used to make the
church wall stand out along with the help of value, and negative space was
used to give the church more definition but also remain as a suitable
background for the theme of the work. Form was used along with value to
show the three dimensional outline of the church, and line helped create the
outline of the monks to better help the element of form show the scale of the
church and how it towers over the monks. But, form was also used to show
that the wall seems very dense which can give off the conclusion that its
probably heavy and that it was a part of something. Texture was used to
show the cracked, rough edges of the church and show that its made of

Mackenzie May
2nd period
12-14-16

stone and that the edges have been clearly chipped away and demolished
over the years of solitude. Geometric shapes like ovals, circles, and
rectangles were used to create the various objects of the piece. Like how an
oval was used to create the curve of the window pane, rectangles were used
to create the church wall, the crosses, and the tree trunks, and circles were
used to create the outline of the monks heads. And finally the dull, dark
colors were used to create the feeling of death and show that the scene is
lifeless and barren. The mostly range from browns, greys, and blacks and
makes the scene look monochromatic with the incline from black to grey on
the church wall and the dull colors also even add a hint of monochrome
colors because of the multiple black shadows hovering above the lifeless
ground. The painting no doubt used and blended many different elements
into one to create the atmosphere and theme of the painting. But, along with
elements the Principles of Art were used to also give the same feel. These
principles are rhythm, movement, contrast, unity, balance, pattern, and
emphasis. First off, the principle of emphasis was used to help define and
strengthen the shadows of value and to better give off the feeling of death
and blends the area where the sunlight hits the shadows of the wall to point
the viewers attention towards the church. The principle of pattern was used
with balance to create the worn edges and figures of the church look similar.
The principle of balance was used asymmetrically to create the leaning wall
and how the right side is more worn than the left to show age and how the
wall is tilted and slanted to one side to make it so the right is lighter than the
left to show that its closer to the light source. The principle of movement
was used with value to guide the viewers eyes towards the church and to
draw attention to it as their eyes go past the graves, trees, and monks. The
principle of rhythm was used to show how the church leans to one side but
remains unmoving and stuck in one spot to also show how the church is old,
worn, and about too topple over. The principle of contrast was used to help
separate the dull colors from the dark shadows by making the ground dark
but still visible and dark. And finally, the principle of unity was used to
combine all principles to create one art piece like how emphasis and value
were used to create the dark atmosphere with movement to guide the
viewers eyes, balance and proportion were used to keep the church similar
on both sides but still leaning on one side, and how movement and value
were used to once again guide the viewers eyes towards the church first.
The Abbey in the Oakwood no doubt represents death and despair but an
article called The Abbey in the Oakwood, by David Casper Friedrich by
Roxana, tells a more indebt feel of what the piece means and states what
Friedrich had lived from his childhood: his mother died in 1781, one year later, his sister
Elisabeth died of smallpox; his brother Johann drowned while he was trying to save

Mackenzie May
2nd period
12-14-16

Friedrich, who had sunk below the ice in 1787, and in 1791, her sister Maria died of
typhus. Even Friedrich attempted suicide around 1801 and later, in 1809, his father died
while Friedrich was painting The Monk by the Sea. This statement goes into detail
on Friedrichs meaning behind the piece. Is meant to tell the story of death in
his family and his sorrow, the mood is gloomy and sad to represent his
despair over his familys death and how this sorrow can break you and other
apart like how the church, broken and old lays in ruins. After all is said and
done the art work was conceptually successful because of the meaning
behind it and how it expertly outlines and emphasizes the emotion of
sadness and the feeling of death from the dark atmosphere to the church
ominously looming over the robed monks, who are mourning for the loss of
others.