Birds above a restless shore

Seagulls in a Stormy Bay spreads pale birds across a rocky inlet where water and stone meet in broken marks. Deep blue-green areas contrast with warmer rock and foam. The low, wide view makes the coast feel exposed, with the birds introducing small repeated movements across the rough surfaces.

A steep edge above the water

Pizzolungo, Capri compresses the scene into a tall format, with dark rock and a pale falling sweep of water above a narrow blue-green area. The vertical arrangement makes the coastal form feel abrupt. Little open ground remains around it, giving the rock and water an unusually close presence.

Architecture enclosed by cliffs

Isle of the Dead centres a dark entrance and tall trees within pale rocky walls. A small boat occupies the water in front of the island. The still, enclosed setting contrasts with the storm coast, replacing scattered movement with a strong inward focus on the central passage and surrounding stone.

Related artists and collections

Explore other charged landscapes in Caspar David Friedrich, visionary settings in Odilon Redon and imagined figures in Gustave Moreau. Further seascapes follow the water and rocks, while myth and supernatural art extends the more dreamlike side of the collection.

Read more in our guide to Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach.