Two Men Contemplating the Moon

Caspar David Friedrich

c. 1825–1830 · Oil on canvas · The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Size2:3 ratio

Frame

$59Unframed print · made to order

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Complete the setHangs well with these two

This print

Two Men Contemplating the Moon

The Abbey in the Oakwood

Chalk Cliffs on Rügen

3 × $59 at 16 × 24 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

Ships worldwide in 3–6 business days after production

Arrives perfect or we reprint it — free

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About this work

Artist: Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840)
Year: c. 1825–1830
Medium: Oil on canvas
Original size: 34.9 × 43.8 cm
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Movement: Romanticism

Two men in old-German dress pause on a mountain path at dusk, one leaning on the other's shoulder, to watch the waxing moon and the evening star; an uprooted oak leans over them, held up by a boulder, and a spruce closes the scene on the left. The figures are seen from behind, so that the viewer joins their silent contemplation. One is usually taken to be Friedrich himself, the other his pupil August Heinrich, who died in 1822. This is the third version of one of Friedrich's most famous compositions: the first, of 1819 to 1820, is in Dresden, and a variant with a man and a woman, around 1824, is in Berlin. The Met's small canvas dates from about 1825 to 1830 and was acquired in 2000. Samuel Beckett said the Berlin variant was the source of Waiting for Godot.

This exhibition-poster edition shows the whole work beneath original typography set in-house. The original is in the public domain.

Where it works

Two men on a dusk mountain path under a waxing moon and an uprooted oak, a small picture for close range: a study, reading corner or landing at 12×18 or 16×24 in black. Deep green, charcoal or warm grey; hang it where you pause.

Style: Exhibition poster of a Romanticism painting
Era: 19th century (c. 1825–1830)
Orientation: Portrait
Palette: cream & beige
Mood: dramatic, moody
Rooms: living room, dining room, dorm room, hallway or entryway
Good gift for: housewarming, art lovers

Size. Prints at 12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in — 12×18 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 16×24 above a desk, console or in a hallway; 24×36 as the statement piece above a sofa or bed.

Framing. Exhibition posters sit best in a slim black frame with no mat — the typeset margin is the mat.

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

Details & materials

• Exhibition poster — original, drawn in-house • Heavyweight matte fine-art paper, giclée printed at 300 DPI • Sizes: 12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in; 12×18 and 16×24 and 24×36 also available framed in black or natural wood • Made to order; colours may vary slightly from screen

Shipping & returns

Produced in 2–4 business days, then shipped from the facility nearest you. Delivery is typically 3–6 business days (US/UK/EU) and 5–12 worldwide. 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 exhibition-poster edition sets the complete image above typography designed in-house.

Is Two Men Contemplating the Moon 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 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What is it printed on?

Heavyweight matte fine-art paper with pigment inks, made to order in 12×18, 16×24 and 24×36 inches; the two larger sizes are also offered framed. Colours are matched to the scan, not brightened.

When was Two Men Contemplating the Moon painted, and in what medium?

Two Men Contemplating the Moon dates from c. 1825–1830 and was made in oil on canvas; the original measures 34.9 × 43.8 cm.

What size works above a sofa or bed?

For a standard three-seat sofa or a queen bed, 24×36 inches reads as a single statement piece; 16×24 suits a narrower wall or a pairing. The print's proportions follow the original, so a landscape-format painting is wider than it is tall.

About this design

A museum-exhibition poster of Caspar David Friedrich's Two Men Contemplating the Moon — Two Men Contemplating the Moon — two friends on a mountain path beneath a gnarled oak, gazing at the waxing moon — shown whole and uncropped beneath gallery typography. The German Romantic Landscape, styled as a blockbuster exhibition print. A gallery-style exhibition poster: a celebrated public-domain artwork shown whole and uncropped beneath original exhibition typography set in-house — printed to order on heavyweight matte fine-art paper. Three sizes (12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in); the 16×24 and 24×36 are also offered framed. Part of the Madten Exhibition Posters Collection. — — — Printed to order and shipped by our production partner, Gelato.

Buy with confidence

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 ~4–8 business days.

Secure checkout. Payments handled by Stripe; we never see or store your card.

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