His Most Famous Painting (Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog) - Caspar David Friedrich
By Annette Labedzki

The nineteenth century witnessed a German 'Romantic Landscape' painter Caspar David Friedrich (September 5, 1774 - May 7, 1840). He was considered the greatest of his times and was most instrumental for 'Romantic Landscape Movement.' Caspar David Friedrich is famous for his mid-period allegorical landscape paintings, which deal with figures in skies in night, the fog in the mornings, infertile trees, and lands. He smartly flirted with nature and its components, on canvass. His paintings were responses, often 'Symbolic' and subjective to the nature. Some of Caspar's best works are based on religious mysticism. His most famous painting is "Wanderer above the Sea of Fog," also known as "Wanderer above the Mist (German: Der Wanderer uber dem Nebelmeer)," created in 1818.

Measuring 94 cm x 74.8 cm, the protagonist of this Caspar David's oil painting is a young wanderer, shown standing straight on a rock, facing the sea, with his back towards the viewer. He is draped in a dark green overcoat and is holding a stick in his right hand. The flow of wind is reflected through his blowing hair. Above, there is a hazy sky and a couple of rocks are shown peeping out of the sea. A close look through the fog gives a glimpse of the forest, stretched along the seashore. In the west, quite far from where the young man is standing, there can be seen a trace of mountains playing the part of leveler for the low fields of the east. The fog and the horizon both have become quite indispensable beyond mountains and this gives a view of clouded sky. Inspired by Elbsandsteingebirge in Saxony and Bohemia, Friedrich sketched "Wanderer above the Sea of Fog" there, customizing it eventually in studio.

Very true to the 'Romantic' style of representation, "Wanderer above the Sea of Fog" is the signature style of Caspar David Friedrich. It follows the trend of his paintings, conveying contemplation and self-reflection through a wanderer's eyes. The wanderer is shown glued to the darkness and the haziness of the sea of fog, denoting the unknown future. In a way, the wanderer is 'Symbolic' of Caspar David and can be termed as his own portrait. The artist has deftly figured out a way to invite the viewer to see the world though his eyes, conveying his personal perspective.

Partially, some meaning of Friedrich's "Wanderer above the Sea of Fog" is lost in its title translation from German to English. In German, the title is "Wanderer uber dem Nebelmeer," with 'Wanderer,' in German, standing for wanderer and hiker. Therefore, the character actually might have got lost in the process of hiking and looking for a way. The second word 'Nebelmeer' in German directly stands for Fog Sea, which has been interpreted in different ways such as a sea, composed of fog. Standing as an iconic 'Romantic Landscape' work even today, "Wanderer above the Sea of Fog" is presently displayed at Kunsthalle Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.

Annette Labedzki received her BFA at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. She has more than 25 years experience. She is the founder and developer of an online art gallery featuring original art from all over the world. It is a great site for art collectors to buy original art. Is is also a venue for artists to display and sell their art . Artists can join for free and their image upload is unlimited. Please visit the website at http://www.Labedzki-Art.com.

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