Wanderer above the sea of fog

Wanderer above the sea of fog

The painting by Caspar David friedrich

Index

Who was caspar david friedrich

THE PAINTING

THE MEANING AND INTERPRETATION

tHE REASON i CHOSE THIS PAINTING

some other versions

Closure

WHO WAS CASPAR DAVID FRIEDRICH?

Caspar David Friedrich was a German Romantic landscape painter and he is considered to be the most important painter of his generation.He was born in 1774 in Pomerania and died in Dresden in 1840. The majority of his paintings portray German landscapes; however, the landscapes aren't just something nice to look at, but they become the main part of the painting, where sometimes there's someone who admires them while they think (the "Rückenfigur", or "the person seen from behind").

THE PAINTING

This painting was painted in 1818. It is an oil on canva. Altough it was painted all this time ago, "Wanderer above the sea of fog" became famous only during the 1970s. In the foreground of the painting there is a man wearing a green overcoat and holding a walking stick in his right hand. As his hair is untidied by the wind, he stands over a rocky cliff, admirating the sea of fog which covers the land below and makes up the background. Some trees and rocky formations emerge from the fog. The man is probably the most famous "Rückenfigur" of all time. As Friedrich was an outspoken German nationalist, the painting became very popular among the other German nationalists. The painting is now on display at the Hamburger Kunsthalle Museum in Hamburg. It has been since the 1970s.

BUT WHAT IS HE DOING?

Both the fact that the Rückenfigur is giving us the back and the lacking of an offical explanation make it very difficult for us to fully comprehend what is going on.The man must be looking at the view, but he is not focused on that: he must be thinking about something. He may not be thinking about everyday things, but instead he might be thinking about more important matters, even some that are above humans. Since he is not turned in our direction, we can only speculate about how he is feeling: he can't be angry, as this view can calm down very easily; he may be tired, as the path he took to get to the cliff is very probably a steep one. Many people think that he must be a wanderer (hence the name). Even the meaning of the sea of fog is a topic of discussion: for some people, it may represent infinity, for some others, the divine.

WHY DID I CHOOSE THIS PAINTING?

I chose this painting because ever since I first saw it I was amazed by it. It struck me because of how easily it triggered something inside of me, something I cannot define exactly. The sea of fog conveys a great sense of calmness, but the man standing there adds something strange, almost ominous. In conclusion, this work of art is the perfect example of how someting that looks simple can be much more.

The diffusion of this painting has given rise to many other paintings, some inspired to it and some straight-out parodies.

Thank you for your attention!