Art Analysis- Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich

                                                 


                                           Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich(1818)

  Introduction: The Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog is a work of art that is known for giving people inspiration and assertion. This work of art is a romantic painting that utilizes many art elements that helps people share a deeper connection with the masterpiece. We will be talking about 3 of the art elements that connect me with the masterpiece, which will be Color, Line/Form, and Light/Shadowing. A masterpiece like this one can bring so much more than it just being beautiful to look at, these art elements can bring lots of emotional depth and truly inspire the viewer.

Color- In the painting, the amount of colors used was at a minimum, the colors ranged from shades of blues, pinks, grays, and yellows. In the painting to me, these shades give off a sense of mystery as if there's more to come, or more to discover. The shades of brown used for the rocks give off an emotional impact that nature can have on oneself. The coloring patches of green on the jacket of the wanderer gives off a presence of human emotion and the immensity feeling that can be found in nature. One of the biggest emotional impacts I've found was the coloring of the fog and clouds. To me, it gives off a calming, and surreal feeling as if I was in the setting. Line/Form- When it comes to lining and form, you can really see the vertical lining in the rocks, and the human figure bring the masterpiece to life, these vertical lines draw your eye to the emotions the painting can bring. The lining within the rocks and mountains emphasizes the different aspects the painting is trying to tell and when you look at the detailing it truly is in a way spiritual. One other view is the lining making up the fog, it's gives off calmness as well as a little sense of ambition. ThisThis element brings many positive emotions to this masterpiece. Light/Shadowing- In the painting, the shadowing as well as the lighting is what creates that dramatic emotion aspect. The lighting shown in the masterpiece is seen shining down on the wanderer figure, this brings out the romantic sentiment that this painting is known for. In the shadowing of the horizon is what really moves me and gives off that feeling of anticipation as if you were in that environment. Last of all, with this element the light and dark shadowing to me, makes me emotionally determined. The beauty of this portrait to me, is that emotion for determination can be for whatever you as a person want it to be. Backstory/Placement- Artiste-Caspar David Friedrich, Date-1818. For this masterpiece there is no specific backstory, however the painting is seen to embody that romantic emotional feeling you would get in nature. The Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog is a Germany painting, in facts it's one of the most popular romantic German paintings. This masterpiece would be hard for you to get your hands on. However, you can view this painting at Hamburger Kunsthalle, and also many other art pieces by Caspar David Friedrich. This painting does go on tour at times, and it's crazy how a painting could be doing more traveling than me. When on tour, it goes to museums such as the Kunst Museum Winterthur, and Museum Georg Schäfer in.



Bibliography-

Alicia du Plessis( Author and Art History Expert )Alicia du Plessis is a multidisciplinary writer. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree. (2023, September 30). “wanderer above the sea of fog” by Caspar David Friedrich. Art in Context. https://artincontext.org/wanderer-above-the-sea-of-fog-by-caspar-david-friedrich/


Home. Startseite. (n.d.). https://www.hamburger-kunsthalle.de/en/wanderer-travel


Scott, D., lopera, P., Balfe, E., Brooks, D., Walt, C. van der, Virginia, Suzanne, Thompson, C. L., Lu, M., Patricia, Rosalind, Sally, Betty, Angie, Siddique, T., Jane, Sorenson, M., Sérgio, Jennifer, … B., R. (2023, March 3). A closer look at wanderer above the sea of fog by Caspar David Friedrich. Draw Paint Academy. https://drawpaintacademy.com/wanderer-above-the-sea-of-fog/


Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Wanderer above the Sea of Fog. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wanderer-Above-the-Sea-of-Fog


















Comments

  1. Christian ReevesSeptember 18, 2024 at 7:19 AM

    Cool art choice! I agree with your assessment of the color inspiring calm feelings and I like the artist's use of negative space to show the fog and water spray.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ben StockSeptember 19, 2024 at 2:27 PM

    Hey Demario, I agree that the fog and clouds give off a calming feeling. I also feel like the artist was able to create an illusion of shadow by making the rocky ledge a darker value. Thank you for sharing this piece of artwork I learned a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JaelonSeptember 19, 2024 at 6:36 PM

    Hey Demario, I absolutely agree that it could be considered a romantic piece. I personally see it as a piece about reflection. I also agree with you that the art elements can bring emotion and depth. I understand why you connect to this piece so deeply. Thanks for sharing it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ariel JarrardSeptember 19, 2024 at 8:34 PM

    Hey Demario, I find that this piece brings in a lot of emotion and is inspiring as well. I personally don't see this piece as a romantic piece but as a more mysterious, deeper, darker and sadder piece. I see the wanderer looking at a reflection of their past regrets or looking ahead at their unforeseen future. On another note, I think the way you described this piece was great but I could not access your links. Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete

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