Caspar David Friedrich

Caspar David Friedrich, born on September 5, 1774 in Greifswald, then part of Swedish Pomerania, is considered one of the most important painters of German Romanticism. His works are characterized by deep emotionality and a unique depiction of nature, which is often interpreted as a reflection of human feelings. Friedrich's childhood was marked by personal tragedies, including his mother's early death and his brother's tragic accident, events that influenced his dark and melancholic themes in his artwork.

After studying at the Copenhagen Art Academy, Friedrich returned to Germany, where he settled in Dresden and began his career as an artist. His landscape paintings, often interspersed with religious and metaphysical elements, initially found recognition among a small circle of admirers. Only towards the end of his life, and especially posthumously, did Frederick achieve widespread recognition. His ability to depict the loneliness and infinity of nature made him a pioneer of the Romantic movement in art. Despite his later fame, Frederick suffered from depression and financial difficulties that overshadowed his final years.

Interesting fact:

Caspar David Friedrich was known for the detailed studies and sketches he made on his hikes through the landscape. What is less known, however, is that he was also a passionate collector of bones, skulls and other remains that he found in nature. These morbid finds served him as study objects for his works of art and reflect his fascination with death and the afterlife.

Important works of art & images by Caspar David Friedrich:

• The Wanderer Above the Sea of ​​Fog (1818)
• The Arctic Ocean (1823-1824)
• Monk by the Sea (1808-1810)
• Abbey in Eichwald (1809-1810)
• Chalk cliffs on Rügen (1818)
• The Morning (1820-1821)
• The Cross in the Mountains (Tetschener Altar) (1807-1808)
• The Lonely Tree (1822)
• The Summer (1807)
• The Stages of Life (1834)