Art analysis of Wanderer Above the Sea Fog

Art analysis of the Wanderer Above the Sea Fog

Wanderer above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich (1818) in Germany

    This painting has been floating around in my mind since my early childhood (albeit in different forms). My first exposure to this painting came in the form of the in-game rendition of it in the popular game Minecraft. Like many young adults these days, it was one of the first games I had ever played, and memories from it have stuck with me for what has now been nearly half my life, and this painting is among those memories. While admittedly the Minecraft version of the painting does not come with much detail I think it captures a surprising level of the essence of the original painting. The posture and coloring alone communicate the solitude and the stark nature of the wanderer against a background of natural colors.

Kristoffer Zetterstrand (~early 2000s)
(location unknown)

    Luckily I was not left with the Minecraft rendition as my only experience of this artwork and some years later I encountered the actual painting. The elements of the painting that are most striking to me are the framing and use of color.

    To me, most of the meaning in this painting comes through in its framing. The man is placed in the center which at first glance communicates the importance of his role in the painting and therefore nature. However, the central position also shows how he is surrounded by the enormity of his environment showing that even when mankind places itself at the center it is still swallowed up by the natural world.

(my attempt at using simple
shapes to illustrate my point)

    The apparent size of the man from this viewpoint is similar. He appears large in comparison to the size of the scene, but only because of the perspective. In reality, compared to the large valley in front of him the man is small, but the viewer sees him as a significant element due to his apparent size. 

   Both of these ideas tie together in my opinion to relate how mankind views itself in nature in comparison to the reality of the situation. Mankind views itself as a large and central element of nature when in reality it is only our inflated ego and perspective.

    The posture of the man takes these ideas further. He's presumably climbed this mountain or hill and now stands atop it striking a very triumphant pose with one foot forward. He also stands with a confident and relaxed hand positioning, with one hand free and the other comfortably in his pocket. This theme of cool confidence however is not continued by the position of his head. His head is slightly bowed as if in quiet reverence of the valley he now stands before. I think this body language again contrasts how mankind sees itself (with the cool confidence of his posture) as well as how the man actually relates to the natural world (a small observer of a fast beauty).

    The final element I wanted to mention was the color. The color of the painting consists mostly of earthy browns and a ghostly white fog. While the color of the man's clothing is different, it is still an earthy tone. The only exception to these colors is the man's head. While my interpretation may be a reach, I believe this color difference suggests that mankind has used its intelligence and higher thinking to manipulate nature in an attempt to elevate man above nature.

Works Cited

Cohen, Alina. “The Mysteries behind Caspar David Friedrich’s ‘Wanderer above the Sea of Fog.’” Artsy, 6 Aug. 2018, www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-unraveling-mysteries-caspar-david-friedrichs-wanderer.

Kristoffer Zetterstrand, zetterstrand.com/. Accessed 5 June 2023.

https://www.artble.com/artists/caspar_david_friedrich/paintings/wanderer_above_the_sea_of_fog