A Cliff Face
- Artist: Arnold Böcklin
- Date: about 1850-5
- Medium: Oil on paper laid on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is "A Cliff Face" by Arnold Böcklin. Painted in the Swiss style of the mid-19th century, this work showcases Böcklin's fascination with the natural world. The pitted face of the rock is closely observed, as is the greenery that clings to it here and there. The artist's attention to detail is quite remarkable, don't you think? Note how the light falls on the foliage, creating a sense of depth and texture. Böcklin's use of oil on paper laid on canvas gives the painting a unique quality, almost like a preparatory sketch but with incredible skill and finish. Painted around 1850-5, this work reflects the romanticism that was sweeping through Europe at the time, a focus on the beauty and power of nature.
See it in person
A Cliff Face hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
