He's considered one of the most important German painters of all time: Caspar David Friedrich. Loved for his landscapes, his works were unfortunately co-opted by the Nazis, who exploited them for their romantic depictions of Germany. People avoided his works for years after World War II.
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00:00 "Wanderer above the sea of fog"
00:04 This is one of the most iconic paintings from the beginning of the 19th century.
00:09 Its creator is generally considered the most important German artist of his generation.
00:15 Caspar David Friedrich.
00:17 "The famous 'Wanderer above the sea of fog' is omnipresent, especially now in the age
00:23 of social media.
00:25 Many people identify with this image.
00:26 And in this respect, Friedrich is once again somewhat of a pop star."
00:32 The retrospective in Hamburg, which exhibits over 60 paintings, looks at the relationship
00:38 between man and nature.
00:41 It also focuses on how the German painter inspires artists today, especially at a time
00:47 of climate crisis.
00:50 "We have an equally large, extensive exhibition that is about the contemporary reception of
00:56 Friedrich, especially in the age of climate change, where we see changes in the whole
01:00 structure of nature.
01:04 Our views of nature have changed, and many of these newer works refer to specific works
01:08 by Friedrich in order to define this new position of the world today."
01:17 Caspar David Friedrich was born in 1774 in the northeast of Germany on the Baltic Sea.
01:24 His childhood was overshadowed by the early deaths of his mother and two of his siblings.
01:29 Many years of his life were plagued by depression and poverty.
01:35 His works reflect this isolation.
01:38 Many of his paintings focus on cold, dark winters and stark landscapes.
01:46 Friedrich was part of the 19th century's Romantic movement, which occurred right after
01:50 the Enlightenment, a period of time characterised by logic, maths and science.
01:55 The Romantics were more interested in portraying the beauty and wonders of the world than searching
02:01 for answers as to how the world works.
02:06 One of the fundamental aspects of Friedrich's works is the way the figures never face the
02:11 viewer, but are always gazing into the painting.
02:17 "Whether these figures are looking at a specific event, or whether they're simply gazing introspectively,
02:27 we don't actually know.
02:28 And I think we sometimes have to wake up and realise just how much we don't know about
02:33 Friedrich's paintings.
02:35 And this can also be a strength."
02:40 What is known about the Romantic painter is that his exploration of the relationship between
02:44 human and nature helped to transform landscape painting into art for a new age that remains
02:51 relevant 200 years on.
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