Wanderer above the Sea of Mist / Caspar David Friedrich.

Caspar David Friedrich is best known for his mid-period allegorical landscapes which typically feature contemplative figures silhouetted against night skies, morning mists, barren trees or Gothic ruins. His primary interest as an artist was the contemplation of nature, and his often symbolic and anti-classical work seeks to convey a subjective, emotional response to the natural world. Friedrich's paintings characteristically set a human presence in diminished perspective amid expansive landscapes, reducing the figures to a scale that, according to the art historian Christopher John Murray, directs "the viewer's gaze towards their metaphysical dimension".

Some meaning of this work is lost in the translation of its title. In German, the title is "Wanderer über dem Nebelmeer." There are several things to note about this German title. First of all, Wanderer exists as both the word for "wanderer" and for the word "hiker." The character can thus be seen as lost and trying to find purpose, or as a resolute journeyman. The second subtlety is that the word "Nebelmeer" translates as "Fogsea", or "the Fog Sea." The first of these leads to a more abstract and philosophical view that complements the "wanderer" translation of the first word. The second is more concrete and challenging, complementing the view of the determined hiker.

'Wanderer above a Sea of Mist' is a beautiful spiritual interpretaion of Nature. A way-farer surveys a spectacular panorama - a glorious affirmation of God's role as the creator. Friedrich's travellers are mostly viewed from behind. so that they could represent a universal figure comparable to the Christian Everyman. However, the theme of a man climbing a mountain is also a traditional metaphor for the journey of life. His arrival at the summit signals life's end. In this context, the image of the misty panorama may be interpreted as heaven, or more probably, as a view of the earthly realm witnessed from heaven.