In 1819 Oehme became a student of Dahl’s at the Dresden academy and through him met Friedrich. He took orientation from the two artists both in terms of motifs as well as his intense work in nature. The Tal von Finstermünz was produced after drawings that Oehme had made while hiking through the Alps. It combines the gloom of the towering rocks with a fine play of colour and light. In addition to the bright views of Italy the massive Alpine landscapes were also a topos of Romantic landscape painting.