Mountain in the Rising Fog

ca. 1835

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

From the forested slopes in the foreground our gaze travels to the majestic sweep of the mountains beyond. Friedrich, the preeminent painter of the German Romantic movement, imbued this landscape with symbolic meaning, placing the summit at a remove that evokes a tranquil, timeless realm. On a hiking tour in Bohemia in 1808 he had sketched the Kaltenberg and the nearby peaks; nearly three decades later he transformed the untouched natural beauty of this region to visualize a journey from the earthly to the spiritual. Probably while working on this painting, Friedrich suffered a debilitating stroke that paralyzed his right hand, which may explain why he was unable to complete the work. It is not easy to read the artist’s intent in the foreground, where the negative space between the trees seems to be unpainted and traces of underdrawing are visible.

Artwork Details

Overview

Exhibition History

Title: Mountain in the Rising Fog
Artist: Caspar David Friedrich (German, Greifswald 1774–1840 Dresden)
Date: ca. 1835
Geography: Country of Origin Germany
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 13 3/4 × 19 1/8 in. (34.9 × 48.5 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main
Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art