Wanderer above the Sea of Fog
(German: Der Wanderer über dem Nebelmeer) is an oil painting by the German painter Caspar David Friedrich, completed around 1818. It's closely associated with Romanticism and is considered one of the masterpieces of the movement. It currently hangs in the Hamburger Kunsthalle in Germany.
The painting depicts a man in a dark overcoat with his back to the viewer, standing and gazing contemplatively at a landscape blanketed in fog. Through the fog, forests and rocky ridges can be seen.
The painting is widely referenced and is a popular choice for covers.
Tropes:
- "Back to Camera" Pose: It features an unnamed man with his back turned to the audience, standing on a cliff in a Captain Morgan Pose and looking out at the foggy scenery below. Considered by art historians to be the Trope Codifier for the rückenfigur.
- Byronic Hero: Considered the embodiment of one: the man, standing alone, is looking into the fog and reflecting upon it, internalizing what he sees before him as a symbol of his own personal angst. It's sometimes even thought to be a depiction of Lord Byron himself, although this almost certainly wasn't Friedrich's intent. It's no coincidence that the movement where the Byronic Hero became prominent is also the one this piece is heavily associated with.
- Captain Morgan Pose: The man stands with his left foot forward on a taller portion of the precipice.
- Classy Cane: Implied Trope. The man is carrying a cane in his right hand. Combined with his dark overcoat and nice boots, it gives the impression of a well-to-do man who has decided to immerse himself in nature (rather than a rugged mountaineer).
- Dramatic Wind: As the figure looks out at the mountainous expanse, his hair is ruffled by the wind.
- Scenery Porn: The painting is rendered in exquisite detail, in the artist's usual somber style. The landscape is draped in rolling fog, giving an impression of an ocean, but mountains and forests are visible through the fog, and the landmarks of Saxony and Bohemia (which Friedrich sketched in the field) are clearly recognizable. The light source is coming from below the rock that the man is standing on, illuminating the fog and silhouetting the foreground ridge.
- Splash of Color: Downplayed; most of the painting is in muted grayish tones, making the man's orange hair stand out.
