The motif
The location of the Painter’s View can be found on the Krockstein, not far from the Krockstein viewpoint, which offers a wide view towards the Brocken. Right there, where the distinctive yellow sign of the Dennert fir tree tells the history of the Krockstein quarries. There has been much speculation about the exact spot where Caspar David Friedrich drew in June 1811. But it must have been here, because from Rübeland to the Brocken along the Bode runs a historic painter’s trail, and there are even print representations of this quarry.
Caspar David Friedrich is certainly the most important German landscape painter of the Romantic period. He came from Greifswald but spent most of his life in Dresden. Two carefully made drawings of the marble quarry have survived, which he created on two consecutive days. They show how fascinated he was by the dark, cool cave-like hollow of a quarry. But he didn’t immerse himself in the subject for tourism or to sell it as a view. The motif inspired him to convey messages that speak directly to us and our lives. That is what makes him so great – and many people still feel that today.
By the way, the marble from the quarries near Rübeland was highly valued. It wasn’t pure white, but ranged in shades of red and brown. There were three quarries on the Krockstein, which were operated from 1715 to 1889. It was further processed in the nearby marble mill.
