"To see any of Friedrich's paintings as simply nationalist is, however, mistaken. His paintings are not celebrations of German mysticism so much as examinations of it. Friedrich uses the emptiness of the Baltic shore and the Thuringian forest to suggest the hubris of empire. He is not the prophet of German territorial ambition but its satirist. Friedrich's theme is the unconquerability of space. Human beings are tiny interlopers in a world they can never hope to rule. He exposes authority - of the monarchical states, Prussia and the rest, from which German liberals felt so alienated."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Quote by Jonathan Jones, Feb, 2001, in 'The ghost of Germany's past', in 'The Guardian', Monday 19 Feb. 2001
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Caspar_David_Friedrich
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Caspar David Friedrich
Caspar David Friedrich (5 September 1774 – 7 May 1840) was a 19th century German painter, considered by many critics to be one of the f
80 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Caspar David Friedrich →
Related Quotes
"I just stepped out of the dark, still forest and found myself on a rising hill. In front of me I saw a valley, surrou…"
"Gently rising hills block the view into the distance; line the wishes and desires of the children, who enjoy the blis…"
"Through the gloomy clouds break / Blue sky, sunshine, / On the heights and in the valley / Sing the lark and the nigh…"
"Alas, the blue arc of heaven / Is covered with gloomy clouds, / And the bright radiance of the sun / Is completely hi…"
"If a painting has a soulful effect on the viewer, if it puts his mind into a soulful mood, then it has fulfilled the …"
"Jesus Christ, nailed to the Cross [in his painting 'Cross in the Mountains (Tetschen Altar)',] is turned to the setti…"
"Why, the question is often asked of me"
"The picture [Friedrich's painting: 'The Cross on the Baltic Sea' ] for your friend has already been sketched out, but…"
"The divine is everywhere, even in a grain of sand; there I represented it in the reeds."
"The beauty, the spirit of Germany, its sun, moon, stars, rocks, seas and rivers can never be expressed this way.."