Caspar David Friedrich (5 September 1774 – 7 May 1840) was born in the town of Greifswald on the Baltic Sea in what was at the time Swedish Pomerania. He studied in Copenhagen until 1798, before settling in Dresden. He is best known for his mid-period allegorical landscapes, which typically feature contemplative figures silhouetted against night skies, morning mists, barren trees or Gothic ruins. Although my interest in paintings is mainly from impressionism onward, he is one of the romantic artists I appreciate a lot. The self-portrait above is from 1809.
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Winter (1808)
One of many recurring themes in his work: ruins of a church or monastery in a forbidding landscape. The grey tones makes this one even more interesting.
The Abbey in the Oakwood (1810)
A similar theme with brown tones dominating. The leafless winter trees give an extra sense of desolation to these landscapes.
View of a harbour (1816)
Ships also played a prominent role in his choice of themes, no doubt harking back to his experiences in Greifswald and Copenhagen.
The Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog (1818)
Many artists have a signature painting, and this is the one for Caspar David Friedrich. It is a textbook example of "Rückenfigur" (figure seen from behind), a compositional device in visual arts.
Chalk Cliffs on Rügen (1818)
Rügen is a German island in the Baltic Sea, and its extraordinary landscape featured a number of times in his oeuvre.
Monastery ruins in the snow (1819)
In my opinion the best of the many paintings around this theme - I'd even go as far as claiming this is my favourite Friedrich painting. The ruin is larger than life, and the inclusion of the graveyard and the procession of people in black contribute to the overall atmosphere.
Rocky Ravine (1823)
The Arctic Ocean (1824)
Capricious ice formations galore in this study presumably inspired by a trip to the north of Norway (or very good imagination).
Northern Sea in the Moonlight (1824)
An atmospheric nocturnal seascape - to my taste one of the best of this type.
Sunset (1830)
I don't know why, but there is something 'unheimisch' about this painting, possibly because of the duplication of the figure in the same clothes.
The Stages of Life (1835)
This coastal setting is more straightforward than most, but Friedrich still introduces an extra layer of thought by choosing this title for the painting.
Seashore by Moonlight (1836)
Ending on a dark note in more meanings than one, which seems appropriate for this painter.
Copyright statement: images all in public domain.
