Magdeburg Valley

This majestic work was painted by Paul Weber, who was born in Darmstadt, Germany in 1823. It shows a scene of a religious shrine near Magdeburg in the dramatic Harz Mountains, with figures making their way down a mountain pass. The grand scale, changeable sky, looming citadel on the mountaintop, and raised point of view—all hallmarks of German Romanticism—contribute to the feeling of drama and tension in the composition. After studying art in Frankfurt, Weber came to the United States in 1848, settling in Germantown, Pennsylvania. He began exhibiting at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts one year after his arrival and remained a frequent exhibitor throughout his life.