The Sea of Ice

Caspar David Friedrich

1823–1824 · Oil on canvas · Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg

Size4:3 ratio

Frame

$59Unframed print · made to order

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Complete the setHangs well with these two

This print

The Sea of Ice

Moonrise over the Sea

The Stages of Life

3 × $59 at 24 × 18 in, unframed = $177 → $159.30 as a set · 10% included · free shipping

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Giclée-printed to order on heavyweight matte fine-art paper

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Arrives perfect or we reprint it — free

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About this work

Artist: Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840)
Year: 1823–1824
Medium: Oil on canvas
Original size: 96.7 × 126.9 cm
Collection: Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg
Movement: Romanticism

Great slabs of ice have been forced upward into a jagged pyramid in an arctic sea, and only on close inspection does the stern of a crushed ship appear among the floes at the right. Friedrich painted it in Dresden between 1823 and 1824, drawing on reports of William Parry's expedition in search of the Northwest Passage and on his own studies of ice breaking up on the Elbe. It was exhibited as An Idealised Scene of an Arctic Sea, and no one bought it in his lifetime; it was long known as The Wreck of the Hope after a lost painting with that title. The flat, hard light and the absence of any human figure make it one of the bleakest images of Romanticism. It has been in the Hamburger Kunsthalle since 1905.

This print reproduces the whole work, uncropped, from a high-resolution scan of the original. The original is in the public domain.

Where it works

Jagged ice and a flat hard light make this a cool, bleak piece for a study, office or hallway rather than a bedroom. Black frame on pale grey or white at 24×18; it suits minimal rooms and sits uneasily beside warm colour.

Style, size & framing detail

Style: Romanticism painting
Era: 19th century (1823–1824)
Orientation: Landscape
Palette: cornflower blue
Mood: dramatic, moody
Rooms: study or library, living room, dining room
Good gift for: housewarming, art lovers

Size. We'd hang this one at 24×18. Prints at 16×12, 24×18 in — 16×12 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 24×18 above a console or sideboard.

Framing. The gallery ground is part of the print, so frame it without a mat — black suits the deep tones of this period; natural wood lightens it.

Pairing. Pairs as a set of three with other famous painting prints (10% off three or more).

Details & materials

• Restored in-house from the original painting — cleaned and colour-trued at museum resolution • Heavyweight matte fine-art paper, giclée printed at 300 DPI • Sizes: 16×12, 24×18 in; every size also available framed • Framed option: wood frame in black or natural wood, 12 mm wide and 22 mm deep, with a plexiglass front and no mat; the print is mounted inside and the frame's outside measures the listed size • Made to order; colours may vary slightly from screen

Shipping & returns

Printed after you order at the facility nearest you, then shipped. Standard delivery is free and takes 4–9 business days from order to door in the US, UK and EU (up to 10 elsewhere); Express takes 4–6 business days. Because each print is made to order we don't take change-of-mind returns, but if it arrives damaged or flawed we'll reprint or refund it — no return needed. Full policy →

Is this the whole painting, or a crop?

The whole work, uncropped. The image fills the print at the painting's own proportions; nothing is trimmed to fit a frame.

Is The Sea of Ice in the public domain?

Yes. Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840) died more than 70 years ago and the work was published before 1929, so the painting itself is public domain. This print is a reproduction made from a high-resolution scan of the original, which is held by Hamburger Kunsthalle.

What is it printed on?

Heavyweight matte fine-art paper with pigment inks, made to order in 16×12 and 24×18 inches; every size is also offered framed in black or natural wood, with plexiglass and no mat. Colours are matched to the scan, not brightened.

When was The Sea of Ice painted, and in what medium?

The Sea of Ice dates from 1823–1824 and was made in oil on canvas; the original measures 96.7 × 126.9 cm.

What size works above a sofa or bed?

Across a three-seat sofa or a queen bed, 24×18 is the size that reads as one statement piece; 16×12 suits a narrower wall or a pair. For The Sea of Ice we'd choose 24×18. It is a landscape print, wider than it is tall, at the painting's own proportions.

About this design

The Sea of Ice (Caspar David Friedrich) — The Sea of Ice · Caspar David Friedrich · 1824. This is a fine-art reproduction of a public-domain masterwork, shown whole and uncropped on a gallery ground, printed to order on heavyweight matte fine-art paper. Every size is offered unframed or framed in black or natural wood. Part of the Madten Fine Art Collection. — — — Printed to order and shipped by our production partner, Gelato.

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The Madten promise

Gallery-grade archival giclée. Rich pigment inks on heavyweight fine-art paper (or gallery-wrapped canvas) — built to last, not a poster-shop print.

Arrives perfect or we reprint it — free. Every piece is made to order; if it shows up damaged or flawed we remake it, no return needed.

Free worldwide shipping. Made & shipped from the facility nearest you — most orders arrive in 4–9 business days.

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