| Author | Caspar David Friedrich |
|---|---|
| Date | 1818 |
| Technique | Oil on canvas |
| Style | Romanticism |
| Dimensions | 37.3 in × 29.4 in |
| Location | Kunsthalle Hamburg, Germany |
Context
"Wanderer above the Sea of Fog" is one of the most inspiring paintings that have been created in the history of mankind, any person must have seen it at least once, always accompanies as a visual complement posts about poems, songs or any artistic expression that emerged from the reflection .
This painting is the most representative of German romanticism, it was painted by Caspar David Friedrich in 1818. Friedrich's work begins at a time when romantic artists rebelled against excessive rationalism in European societies, which is why they focused on capturing the passions and nature in his works as opposed to a cold and rigid modernity.
Friedrich had the ability to turn the landscape into a medium to reflect moods and emotions by appealing to the sensibility of the viewer, he was known as "the painter of the landscape of the soul" and was undoubtedly one of the greatest exponents of the symbolic landscape in European art.
David d'Angers, a contemporary sculptor to Friederich, said the following about him:
_ * Friedrich! The only painter of landscapes that has had the power to remove all the faculties of my soul, which really created a new genre: the tragedy of the landscape * _.
For romanticists like Friederich the human being was a manifestation of natural forces, nature was considered a profound expression of human spirituality, this nature is the protagonist of the painting, that is why it is common to find in some of his works characters from back to the observer in front of an environment loaded with symbolism.
Many interpretations have been made of this work and almost all of them focus in the symbolism of the elements that appear in it. Regardless of the interpretations that are given, we can’t deny that it is a magnificent painting that makes us feel protagonists of the scene represented.
Analysis
The work shows a wanderer, whom some have identified as Friedrich himself, who stands on top of a high mountain watching the a sea of fog that covers most of the landscape. We can see the peaks of the ridges rising in the fog, while some mountains are in the background.
The traveler is back to the viewer, so the author prevents the face of the character distracts our attention from the landscape. He is alone, because only in this state is it possible to be in complete connection with nature, without distractions from material or from other people.
He is dressed in black with the typical German attire of the time, not comfortable to climb a mountain. He has a forward leg leaning heavily on a rock, suggesting a position of domination, but at the same time is holding a cane, which symbolizes weakness. This position and the cane show that the traveler has had to work hard to get to that place where he can admire the view .
The landscape is located in Switzerland, in the Saxony region, where the author was sheltered by the threat of the Napoleonic wars. Friedrich uses the landscape as a pretext, it seems that he is not interested in painting a specific landscape but he uses it to transmit a message that goes beyond.
The picture shows the two faces of the romantic idea, first there is the attraction for the infinite and untouchable, the contemplation and enjoyment of nature in all its splendor after a difficult climb to the top of the mountain. On the other hand we find the anguish that this immensity generates us, the traveler realizes its insignificance in the landscape of a nature hidden by the fog that makes it difficult to access its truths and leaves us with more doubts than answers.
Friedrich was a very believing man, that is why many interpretations of painting are religious, he seems to want to show a duality between spirituality and earthly things, rocks and mountains as a symbol of the solidity of an unshakeable faith but also of earthly life while that the clouds could be eternal life or divinity, the human is trapped between both parts.
Technique
We can appreciate the delicate but majority blue tones combined with tenuous pink brushstrokes that give an amazing chromatic harmony. The dark and light colors mix when the clouds meet the rocks.
The man is located in the center of the scene covering us the vanishing point so it seems that on the sides emerge the hills from him, this is a trick that the painter uses to capture even more the attention of the viewer towards the landscape.
Frederich uses a cold color range , we see the black color in the central figure, dark brown in the rocks and the gray and white int the fog and the sky. The only warm colors appear in the foreground, in the traveler's hair and his neck.
Curiosities
- Friederich became famous by winning a contest that Goethe had organized in Weimar in 1805, in which he presented two landscapes drawn in sepia. Then they would become very close friends.
- A theory says that the walker would not be Friedrich, but a veteran of the wars of liberation. For being a political symbol, he wears the typical German frock coat, which was banned in 1818.
Images extracted from Wikipedia.
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Lovely article @alejandromata. I'm a big fan of Friedrich's work. He was one of the most instrumental in pushing me towards being a landscape artist. Nowhere near his level of ability though, lol. Thank you for sharing!
This is a great painting.
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Thanks for sharing this post.