An Analysis of “Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog” by Caspar David Friedrich
“Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog” by Caspar David Friedrich, is a painting created in 1818, which depicts a man triumphantly standing on the top of a mountain.
This painting was created during the Romantic Movement, which was a movement dedicated to emotion, individuality, and idealization of nature, and was partly a response to the Industrial Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment. Notable characteristics of artworks during this time period were strictly from the artist’s emotions, or as Caspar David Friedrich said, “the artist’s feeling is his law”, rather than the rules or norms that were pre-established.
The main focus of this painting is the man standing atop the mountain, as his triumphant stance and tremendous height he has conquered seem to be points of notice in this painting. The man carries a cane, suggesting that the man should be incapable of climbing a mountain that is so high. However, it seems as though the determination of this man has overcome his physical challenges, allowing him to climb the mountain. As this painting was created during the Romantic Movement, an idealization of nature can be clearly noted in this painting, shown by the triumphant stance after conquering the heights of the mountain. While the identity of the man will remain uncertain, unless explicitly stated by the artist, many have theorized the man to be the artist himself, due to similarities in hair color. If this theory is true, this painting was created as a means of self-reflection, or perhaps, setting a goal for the future.
The color palette of this painting consists mainly of hues of blue for the background. Blue often symbolizes freedom and confidence. The sky and cloud both incorporate hues of blue, representing how free the man feels after conquering the mountain. There is no limit to what this man can do now that he has climbed the mountain despite his physical challenges. The clouds also include white and yellow. Yellow often represents happiness and courage, while white represents purity and peace. If this painting is about self-reflection, we are able to see that the man is looking down at the clouds. As the clouds incorporate hues of yellow and white, the artist may be conveying that he is content with his life and himself.
Ultimately, Friedrich shows the rewarding outcome when one overcomes a significant obstacle.
