Eternity with its worlds - the past and future - is in ourselves or nowhere.' This is how the poet Novalis expressed himself on behalf of the early Romantics.Īn attitude that spread from literature and philosophy into the visual arts, established in about 1800 but failed to produce its own style in visual arts.

'The depths of our spirit are unknown to us - the mysterious way leads inwards. Friedrich's landscapes are mirrors of feelings and seek to express visually what poetry achieves with words. The characteristic feature of Romanticism is the reciprocal effect of poetry and painting. In the city along the Elbe, Friedrich and other painters, as well as poets such as Tieck and Schlegel, formed the centre of early Romanticism. Friedrich wanted his nature moods to provide insight into the human soul.Īt the age of 24, after an academic education in Copenhagen, the young artist was drawn to Dresden. Using symbolic nature metaphors such as the moon as the universe and tree stumps as an indication of transience, he created contemplative romantic feelings and religious sentiments. They often turn their backs to the viewer so that he can put himself in their place. The lonely figures look longingly into vast landscapes with distant horizons. He captured human beings in their smallness in relation to the immense power of nature. Friedrich went on long hikes through the mountains and along the coast with friends. Landscape depiction holds a leading position in his oeuvre.

Wanderer over a sea of fog