Wanderer above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich

Wanderer above the Sea of Fog - Caspar David Friedrich - Oil Painting for Gallery Wall

Product Overview

Upgrade your walls with Wanderer above the Sea of Fog - Caspar David Friedrich - Oil Painting for Gallery Wall. Every fine art reproduction is painted entirely by hand, so the surface carries the depth and variation of an original oil painting rather than the flatness of a digital canvas print.

The Story Behind the Painting

1818
Oil on canvas
94.8 cm (37.32 in.) x 74.8 cm (29.45 in.)
Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany.

This is a significant artwork for Romanticism. Depicts Man in awe before Nature. A very common Romantic theme. Main page for Romanticism. Friedrich's most famous work and the embodiment of Romanticism.

Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, oil painting by German artist Caspar David Friedrich that was completed about 1817. It is regarded as one of the most representative and important works of the German Romantic movement.

The sublime power of nature is a dominant theme in Friedrich’s paintings. The landscape of his native Germany was a source of inspiration, but his personal history might also explain the ominous tension between beauty and terror in his representation of nature. When he was 13 years old, he was skating with his younger brother on a frozen lake when the ice cracked, and his brother fell through. By some accounts, Friedrich tried to save him, but his brother nonetheless drowned. Friedrich’s philosophy of art was expressed in his statement that “The painter should paint not only what he has in front of him, but also what he sees inside himself. If he sees nothing within, then he should stop painting what is in front of him.”

The lone, elegant figure in Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog stands with his back to the viewer, a device called Rückenfigur (“back-figure”) that Friedrich frequently employed. The man is depicted standing on a rocky precipice gazing at a valley in which rocks, trees, and mountains appear rising above a thick, rolling mist. This painting was not based upon an actual view experienced by Friedrich but consists of details drawn from sketches of various places he visited, including locations in Germany and Switzerland.The identity of the lone figure has been the subject of debate. Some believe it to be the artist himself, while one scholar believes it to be a portrait of a forestry official who had recently been killed fighting for Prussia against Napoleonic France. Friedrich, who began painting in oils only after age 30, demonstrates a clear understanding of the medium in the depths of dark color he employs to execute his mysterious, foreboding imagery.

Friedrich’s work had begun to fall out of favor by the end of his lifetime. In the 20th century his work was rediscovered and was seen as quintessentially German, a view that Adolf Hitler appropriated, and Friedrich’s art was used as Nazi propaganda. That connection caused his work to return to disfavor, but the mystical, melancholic beauty of his landscapes has received reappraisal and renewed interest from the 1970s.

The fine art subject is rebuilt stroke by stroke in oil, giving the finished canvas the depth expected of romantic oil painting wall decor.

100% Hand Painted on Canvas

Trained artists work in stages — underpainting, mid-tones, highlights, and detail — using traditional oils on canvas. Because nothing is printed, every hand painted oil painting has its own subtle texture and depth.

Specifications & What You Receive

• 100% hand-painted oil painting on artist-grade canvas — never a print or digital reproduction.
• Supplied with a 2-inch blank border on all four sides for flexible gallery wall display options.
• No middlemen — we ship directly to you worldwide.
• Available canvas sizes for this hand painted oil painting: 20 X 24 in, 24 X 36 in, 30 X 40 in, 36 X 48 in, 48 X 72 in.
• Made-to-measure options are available for this fine art canvas.
• Affordable delivery options via DHL, UPS, FedEx, USPS and more.
• We stretch your canvas onto wooden bars at no extra charge, and can arrange custom framing.
• We send a digital image of your fine art painting for approval before it ships.

Styling & Placement

For gallery wall art that does not feel generic, a painted fine art canvas is hard to beat. It is a popular fine art oil painting pick for new homeowners and a durable alternative to seasonal poster art.

Ordering & Peace of Mind

In short: Wanderer above the Sea of Fog - Caspar David Friedrich - Oil Painting for Gallery Wall combines a romantic composition, a 100% hand painted oil painting process, and the flexibility of made-to-order canvas sizes — a dependable choice for fine art oil painting and gallery wall art.