Page 22 - Studio International - September 1972

colours, which change to pastel and recede the have at least two functions; firstly as part of the The colours and tones of the two human
horizon through aerial perspective. The brush extraordinary scale structure of the painting, in figures at the base of the cross are such that one
marks become correspondingly smaller. Then which there is a complete disparity of size is hardly aware of persons being there. The
comes the sky, or the tip of a mountain, made of between the leaves of the tree, the figure white dress of the woman makes her a part of the
intense, subtly gradated colours without brush standing under it, and the grass in the background mountains, while the man's coat
marks. At the top of the painting the colours foreground pond. The smoke wisps, though blends absolutely with the colour and silhouette
soften again, bringing the sky forward like a widely separated in depth, all have the same of the rocks in the foreground. But through this
blanket over the horizontal plane of the earth, or dimensions, just as the two ponds have the same device one is absolutely aware of the presence of
sometimes forming a kind of proscenium arch width, although there is a huge perspective Friedrich's art—of his objective manipulation of
for the whole painting. diminution implied in the relative sizes of the detail in an otherwise almost too concentrated
The springing horses in the centre are two isolated trees. Secondly, the smoke wisps and pure image.
intense, transparent dark patches, almost holes play a part in the implication of movement. The The structure of the painting hangs almost
in the surrounding green, modelled slightly play between the formation and structure of the entirely from colour. The foreground brown
with semi-opaque touches of light colour. The trees and grass, and the direction and form of the glazes separate from the rest of the painting, but
reality of a horse is totally absent, and one is left smoke builds up a complex situation of otherwise there is an almost uninterrupted
with a painted accent on the picture plane, and naturalistic contradictions which gives the unity of surface. The middle-ground rocks
a sense of movement coming entirely out of painting its delicately balanced, powerful distinguish themselves from the far distance
drawing and composition. The city is not a presence: it is as if the whole scene were still, only by the greater variation in their colour—
collection of buildings, but one continuous yet trembling with the implication of an they are composed of exactly the same
form, functioning exactly like the pond, painted impossible series of movements. The same kind non-substance as the sea of fog behind them. q
wet in wet into the sky. The painted accents in of play is made with the compositional use of
the city relate to this overall form, like a figure, the diamond form—sometimes implied, either Some contemporaries of Friedrich
Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749-1832)
rather than to details of the structure of houses. on the picture plane or in recession, sometimes
Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781-1841)
The windmills serve as colour connecting links explicitly present in the shape of an element like German architect and painter. Member of the
between the city and the meadow, as the two the front pond. There is a very real association Berlin Academy.
houses at the front of the city serve to connect (not an abstract symbolism) that the large tree Phillip Otto Runge (1777-1810)
German painter. Trained in Copenhagen
it to the sky. relates to the smaller background line of trees Academy. Lived in Dresden 1801-04.
exactly like a human king/priest to his acolytes. Johan Christian Dahl (1788-1857)
3. Der Wanderer über dem Nebelmeer (The It is, perhaps, Friedrich's strength that his Norwegian landscape painter. Professor at
Traveller Over the Sea of Fog) Hamburg Dresden from 1824.
Kunsthalle no. 5161. complicated iconography is always reinforced Carl Gustav Carus (1789-1869)
by a concrete, pictorial image which is like a German painter, physician, and theoretician of the
A classical example of Friedrich's use of a new movement in landscape painting. Pupil and
built-in explanation of, or alternative to, the
compositional structure based on a central, friend of Friedrich.
iconography. John Martin (1789-1854)
frontal, symmetrical spire, with rays of light
English painter.
coming from behind the foreground silhouette. 5. Mondaufgang am Meer (Moonrise Over the William Blake (1757-1827)
The subject is an almost ironic parody of the Sea) Berlin. Neue National Galerie. English painter and poet.
J. M. W. Turner (1775-1851)
situation of the spectator, who sees in the The longer one looks at a Friedrich painting,
English painter.
picture a spectator who is in turn observed by the more one is overawed by the almost Heinrich Heine (1797-1856)
the suggested head in the rock formation right unending fruitfulness of the associational and German poet.
of centre. A communication between Man and symbolic possibilities. Every object, every form Johan Christian Friedrich Hölderlin (1770-1843)
German poet.
God, or Man and Nature, to parallel the (Gestalt) and each of its parts, sets up a Friedrich von Schlegel (1772-1829)
communication between spectator and artist, or relational play which refers back to Friedrich's German philosopher and poet.
spectator and art work ? This explicit comment recurrent themes of duality: between Man and Friedrich Schelling (1775-1854)
German philosopher.
removes all the weakness of the merely God, Man and Nature, Art and Nature, light Writers and poets of the Romantic movement in
picturesque, and plunges one straight into the and darkness, body and spirit, earth and sky, Germany:
Ludwig Tieck (1773-1853)
metaphysical. A similar function in other mountain peaks and mud, presence and absence, Jean-Paul (1763-1825)
paintings is fulfilled by the contradiction duration and timelessness, spectator and artist, Aachim von Arnim (1781-1831)
between the elaborately artificial structure of subject and interpretation. In this painting, Heinrich von Kleist (1777-1811)
Novalis (1772-1801)
the scene and the sharply defined naturalism of there is a constant play between the
Clemens Brentano (1778-1842)
some details. As is almost invariably the case, possibilities of each object being alone, one of a Bibliography
the figure looks into the picture, a diagrammatic pair, or part of a larger group. There are three Herbert von Einem, C. D. Friedrich Berlin 1938.
de-personalized expression of the human figures, but one is male, two are female; two Werner Sumowski, C. D. Friedrich Studium
Wiesbaden 1970.
condition. ships, but the one splits itself into two separate F. Bauer, C. D. Friedrich: ein Maler der Romantik
forms; two light patches (sea and sky) but the Stuttgart 1961.
4. Der Einsame Baum (The Solitary Tree) Berlin. Eckart Klessman, Die Welt der Romantik Verlag Kurt
dark strip of sky dividing them sets itself off as
Neue National Galerie. one dark against one light; and the group of Desch 1969.
The painting seems to relate strongly to the C. G. Carus, Neun Briefe uber Landschaftsmalerei
Dresden 1831.
`Wiesen bei Greifswald'. The function of the large rocks, in their proportions, proximity and C. G. Carus, Friedrich der Landschaftsmaler Dresden
tones afford an almost limitless possibility of
frolicking horses in that picture is here taken over 1841.
variation in their grouping.
by the play with the wisps of smoke. These
occur in both lines of houses, and in three places 6. Das Kreuz im Riesengebirge (Cross in Vast [An exhibition of Friedrich's work is at the
on the background mountain. The smoke wisps Mountains) Berlin. Schloss Charlottenburg. Tate Gallery until 15 October 1972.]
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