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‘Wanderer above the Sea of Fog’ — Seeking Meaning in the Famous Painting
The Romantic landscape as an allegory of existential torment
Caspar David Friedrich’s Wanderer above a Sea of Fog is often cited as the archetypal Romantic painting. In particular, it is seen as the figure of the poet seeking inspiration in contact with nature. This is one possible interpretation, but is it satisfactory or even sufficient and complete?
One thing immediately strikes us: The artist has chosen to paint the traveller from behind. So we have no way of knowing who he is. Contrary to what the format suggests, this is not a portrait. The anonymity with which the painter depicts his figure shows that he did not want to represent a specific individual. Caspar David Friedrich uses the technique of the Rückenfigur¹. He encourages us to experience the landscape and to formulate, at least in our minds, emotions we feel and share with the protagonist while viewing. So the wanderer can be the artist himself, you or me. In fact, they are any viewer of the painting.
But the traveller’s role here is not limited to that of advocate. As the title suggests, he is also the subject of the painting. But with his back to us, we can’t get a sense of his feelings or personality so, we have to fill those in. Only his clothes can give us some…
