Topics in Western Art: Romanticism and Romantic Art: Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840)
By Alexandra Jopp Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840), a major figure in the German Romantic movement, was born in Pomerania, studied in Copenhagen, and later settled in Dresden. Pomeranian landscapes are depicted in many of his works: the sandy beaches along the Baltic seashore, the meadows, the forests, and of course the sea. Friedrich was well known for his melancholy pictures, often times depicting solitude and contemplation. His striking imagery, radical sense of design and understanding the nature and its variety of moods have made his art far beyond our comprehension. It seems Friedrich wished to convey a sense of mystery and enigma. Friedrich was indeed enigmatic and seemed to delve into the human spirit and the sub-conscious of the human being. His desire was to couple man with nature and show the symbiotic relationship between the two. Rewald supports this notion by asserting that Friedrich was: One of the European artists who created a new awareness of nature and made lan...