[SLIDE 2] Caspar David Friedrich Was Born - (September 5, 1774 - May 7, 1840) He was a landscape painter of the nineteenth-century

ry German Romantic movement He is now considered the most important painters of the time. Both a painter and draughtsman Best known for his later allegorical landscapes, which feature contemplative figures silhouetted against night skies, morning mists, barren trees, and Gothic ruins. His primary interest as an artist was the contemplation of nature, and his often symbolic and anticlassical work seeks to convey the spiritual experiences of life.
His childhood was filled with tragedy. Before the age of thirteen he witnessed the death of two of his siblings and his mother. He lost one of his sisters and the brother closest to him, who had risked his own life to save Friedrich during an ice-skating accident. Many art historians and psychologists believed that such events greatly impacted the content of his art and shaped him into the emotional painter he was known to be. His works clearly showed his love of landscapes they demonstrated his belief in the power of God through nature. Friedrich suffered a stroke that left him slightly debilitated in his hand. As a result, he painted predominantly in water color and sepia ink. His work eventually lost popularity.

[SLIDE 3] It is believed Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog is a self-portrait of Friedrich. The young figure
standing in contemplation has the same fiery red hair as the artist.

[SLIDE 4]The figure stands in contemplation and self reflection, mesmerized by the haze of the sea fog
as if it were a religious and spiritual experience. He wonders in that moment about the unforeseen future. By placing his back toward the viewer he is not shutting them out - rather he enables them to see the world through his own eyes, share and convey his personal experience. Composition: (SLIDE 5) Friedrich chose to paint this landscape vertically rather than the common horizontal orientation. The upright position of the canvas models the uprightness of the figure in the painting. Use of technique: Once again Friedrich employs the Ruckenfugen technique in which he paints the figure with his back towards the viewer. This makes the figure seem like something of a mystery. The viewer is unsure what the man is thinking or his reaction to the landscape in which the viewer is also observing. By separating the figure and the landscape, the viewer focuses more on the beauty of the surroundings rather than the man's role in nature. Color palette: (Slide 6)

For this composition Friedrich uses a slightly brighter palette than usual. He mixes blues and pinks across the sky with the mountain and rock in the distance echoing these colors. He paints the figure in a dark green coat which is typical German attire. Use of light: The light seems to be coming up from beneath the rock, somehow illuminating the fog. The rock the

mysterious figure stands on remains mostly in silhouette form, though some detail is visible at the top near the figures' feet. Tone elicited: [SLIDE 6] As the viewer cannot see the figure's face, the tone is questionable. In line with Friedrich's other works, and the overall Romantic ideal, it seems fitting to believe that this wanderer stands in awe of the spooky nature before him. His poise is one of a confident man, he leans on his cane, and a relaxed hand rests in his pocket