"Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog" — this is one of the most iconic paintings from the beginning of the 19th century. Its creator is generally considered the most important German artist of his generation: Caspar David Friedrich.
"The famous 'Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog' is omnipresent, especially now in the age of social media. Many people identify with this image, and in this respect, Friedrich is once again somewhat of a pop star and figure for the ages," said curator Markus Bertsch.
A new retrospective in Hamburg, which exhibits over 60 paintings, looks at the relationship between man and nature. It also focuses on how the German painter inspires artists today, especially at a time of climate crisis.
"We have an equally large, extensive exhibition that is about the contemporary reception of Friedrich, especially in the age of climate change, where we see changes in the whole structure of nature," said Bertsch. "Our views of nature have changed and many of these newer works refer to specific works by Friedrich in order to define this new position of the world today."
Still relevant 200 years later
Caspar David Friedrich was born in 1774 in Germany's northeast on the Baltic Sea. His childhood was overshadowed by the early deaths of his mother and two of his siblings. Many years of his life were plagued by depression and poverty.
His works reflect this isolation. Many of his paintings focus on cold, dark winters and stark landscapes.
Friedrich was part of the 19th century's Romantic movement, which occurred right after the Enlightenment, a period of time characterized by logic, mathematics and science. The Romantics were more interested in portraying the beauty and wonders of the world than searching for answers as to how the world works.
One of the fundamental aspects of Friedrich's works is the way the figures never face the viewer, but are always gazing into the painting.
"Whether these figures are looking at a specific event or whether they are simply gazing introspectively, we don't actually know, and I think we sometimes have to wake up and realize just how much we don't know about Friedrich's paintings, and that this can also be a strength," said curator Johannes Grave.
What is known about the Romantic painter is that his exploration of the relationship between human and nature helped to transform landscape painting into art for a new age that remains relevant 200 years on.