The major differences between the two paintings is that Friedrich's figure, Rückenfigur, keeps his back turned on the viewer while Munch's figure confronts the viewer directly. Both artists rejected the traditional horizontal orientation of most landscapes and instead employ a vertical orientation, showing the upright presence of the character. Both paintings illustrate the 'halted traveler' where the solitary figure experiences an epiphany in the middle of nature. Edvard Munch, The Scream, 1893: This is another landscape reference that occurs with Friedrich's Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog. Munch could identify with Friedrich's representative landscapes and in this work a clear reference is seen to Friedrich's Man and Woman Contemplating the Moon. Among his admirers was Symbolist painter Edvard Munch whose work has been explicitly related to Friedrich's. His poise is one of a confident man, he leans on his cane, and a relaxed hand rests in his pocket.Įdvard Munch, The Lonely Ones, 1899: Friedrich influenced only a few artists that followed him. 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. Tone elicited: As the viewer cannot see the figure's face, the tone is questionable. The rock the mysterious figure stands on remains mostly in silhouette form, though some detail is visible at the top near the figures' feet. Use of light: The light seems to be coming up from beneath the rock, somehow illuminating the fog. He paints the figure in a dark green coat - typical German attire. He mixes blues and pinks across the sky with the mountain and rock in the distance echoing these colors. Color palette: For this composition Friedrich uses a slightly brighter palette than usual. By separating the figure and the viewer, the latter focuses more on the beauty of the surroundings rather than the man's role in nature. This makes the figure something of a mystery to the viewer - they are unsure what he is thinking or his reaction to the landscape that they too are taking in. Use of technique: Once again Friedrich employs the Ruckenfugen technique in which he paints the figure with his back towards the viewer. The upright position of the canvas models the uprightness of the figure in the painting. Composition: Friedrich chose to paint this landscape vertically instead of the much seen horizontal orientation. His use of color and lighting is also notable. He depicts the mountains, the trees, and the heavy mist above the sea.įriedrich executes a unique composition and employs his famous technique in Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog. He was always greatly inspired by German landscape and deeply moved of the beauty he found in his homeland. Though Friedrich painted this scene in his studio, he sketched it at the place of inspiration, Elbsandsteingebirge, in Saxony and Bohemia. As this man was most likely killed in 1813 or 1814, this painting may also serve as a patriotic tribute. He wears the green uniform of the volunteer rangers, those called into service against Napoleon by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia. Friedrich Gotthard von Brincken, of the Saxon infantry. Though some believe this to be a self-portrait tradition recounts that the figure in Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog is a particular person, a high-ranking forestry officer, Col. 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, to share and convey his personal experience. He wonders in that moment about the unforeseen future.

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. The young figure standing in contemplation has the same fiery red hair as the artist. Some believe Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog to be a self portrait of Friedrich.

Wanderer above the sea