Ernst Fries’ works display a remarkable variety of techniques: alongside oil studies, Fries experimented with watercolour and washed ink to render subtle variations in light and colour.

These different techniques illustrate just how versatile plein air painting was in the early 19th century. ‘Plein air’ meant far more than simply painting in oils outdoors. As the study of nature grew in importance, artists turned to a wide variety of media, depending on the purpose their sketches were intended to serve. Pencil drawings were easy to transport and allowed motifs to be captured quickly, to be worked out later in the studio. Fries produced numerous such drawings, including the study of pine tree crowns (1826/1827) exhibited here. With precise lines, he examines the branching of the boughs and the structure of the tufts of needles, thus creating a drawing that almost resembles a botanical study.

Watercolour and wash, on the other hand, were particularly well-suited to capturing atmospheric effects, lighting conditions and subtle colour transitions directly from nature. In his wash drawings, Fries deliberately leaves areas of the paper unpainted, which serve as light areas to highlight the sunlight. The ink, diluted to varying degrees, creates soft transitions between light and shadow and conveys the mood and transience of a particular moment.

The various techniques complemented one another and made working outdoors an experimental and dynamic process. Nature was not captured in a single image, but was explored through a multitude of sketches, studies and notes.