wanderer above the sea

The painting I decided to do critiques on is the Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog by the best-known Gothic Romantic Caspar David Friedrich. This artwork was created in 1818 in Hamburg, Germany. This landscape is currently displayed at Hamburger Kunsthalle who is as well the owner. This artwork is done on a canvas and the medium is oil. In the painting, we can see there is a masculine figure (possibly be the painter) having his back to the painting, on top of a mountain or cliff, and looking downwards. Some say that he is supposedly looking at the sea that is underneath the heavy fog, but I personally think that the “sea of fog” in the title refers to a creative and allegorical sense rather than a literal meaning. The painting might have some relation to the experiences of Casper’s childhood. His story of painting comes straight from his culture and where he was born. Romanticism was an artistic movement started in Germany, which had been started in the 17th century and has influenced many of Friedrich’s paintings. The artist has no certain intention of his painting but he wants the audience to think creatively from his point of view. When I first saw this painting, I found it to be so interesting and mysterious. The unusual vertical orientation to the beautiful color changes caught my eyes. The wanderer is the focus point of the whole painting where he is the center of attention as well as the center of the painting itself. This art affected me enough to write about it due to the fact that I love to go hiking. I also really appreciate scenery and love to take pictures of any view. This painting shows some type of relaxing feel to it as the painter gazes through the mountains and looks upon the fog. I never knew about this painting until I researched about it. The Wanderer Above the Sea is something I will remember when I go hiking and look at scenic