Mountain Landscape with a Castle

Although better know for his smaller scale works and plein-air sketches, Johan Christian Dahl's large, naturalistic landscapes were considered by his contemporaries to be his major artistic achievement. This work was painted in difficult conditions, at Engelholm, a windswept coastal town on the north west coast of the Scania peninsular, Sweden, a short boat trip from Elsinore.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 5 minutes): Edvard Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor Op. 16 (1st movement)