![]() The height of the cliff is not immediately realized, until you see how small the trees are on the right side of the painting. It depicts a man standing on the of a cliff overlooking a valley filled with fog. Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog falls closely in line with the latter example. If you have ever seen the Grand Canyon in Arizona, then you are likely familiar with the feeling of the sublime. In a journal article by Miguel Angel Gaete, he said, “ The sublime entails powerful conceptual associations such as the infinite and the limitless, together with a series of overwhelming feelings that they can elicit in those who experience it” (59). Sitting on the edge of a cliff or mountain with your legs dangling off the side, realizing that you are inches away from death that is sublime. That feeling of realizing how small you are in the vast universe is sublime. Something may be sublime, but the sublime is more of a feeling one experiences. It makes you realize the power, greatness, and grandeur of the object next to your own smallness and fragility. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the sublime as “ tending to inspire awe usually because of elevated quality (as of beauty, nobility, or grandeur) or transcendent excellence.” I would add that something that is sublime borders on the edge of fear, or even death, but not quite reach those points of dread or injury. Its perfectly captures the feeling of the sublime which was a prominent theme during the romantic period. ‘Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog’ is currently located in Kunsthalle, Hamburg.Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog was painted in 1818 by German artist Caspar David Friedrich. “Stripped to an essence, Friedrich's paintings are hypnotic and memorable, evoking powerful longing, as though deep memories, dreams, and yearnings have been revived and ache to be fulfilled.”. Later in his career, he combined this passionate interest with his belief in self-expression to create unique paintings that displayed breathtaking scenery and possessed an ambience of repose and serenity, the likes of which can be found in ‘Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog’.ĭavid d’Angers once said of Caspar David Friedrich, “Here is a man who has discovered the tragedy of landscape.” Many artists from the Romantic era, including Friedrich, believed that in order to achieve pure self-expression, spiritual and emotionally-expressive heights in their work, they had to step away from the business side of the art world, leaving the money-making and political aspects aside.įreidrich was fascinated with nature and solitude. Caspar David Freidrich was a master in his ability to transform a landscape into a personal and spiritual chronicle, a difficult task for many painters. The painting entices the viewer to peak over the edge of the cliff in order to see what lies hidden. Its slight glowing hue implies that the day is either just beginning, or about to end. The sky uses a significant portion of the canvas. A heavy fog or mist lingers heavily before him, revealing the closer mountain peaks. The painting depicts a man wearing a frock coat with walking stick in hand (Friedrich himself), standing on a cliff that overlooks the magnificent mountains in the distance. ![]() ‘Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog’, also known as ‘Wanderer Above the Mist’, is an oil painting created by German artist, Caspar David Friedrich in 1818.
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