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Ruins of a Fortified Tower among Wooded Hills

Friedrich Salathé

1818

graphite

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism Early 19th Century Landscape

Dominant colour

Ruins of a Fortified Tower among Wooded Hills is a 1818 graphite by Friedrich Salathé, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Friedrich Salathé
When & what style?: 1818 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This painting shows a lonely stone tower rising from a rocky hillside. The tower is weathered, with some walls missing, and sits near a few small buildings. Around it, dry bushes and trees dot the landscape, while distant hills fade into a soft, hazy sky. The artist used loose, sketchy brushstrokes to suggest texture—rough for the stones, lighter for the sky. The colors are muted, like an old photograph. Want to see more? Check out technique: watercolor, glazing.