Wanderer above the Sea of Fog (German: Der Wanderer über dem Nebelmeer) is one of the most popular oil paintings by German Romantic artist Caspar David Friedrichs. It was done in his trademark painting style, which shows a figure silhouetted against a backdrop from behind. In this painting, a man stands, supported by a walking stick, on a rocky crest overlooking a sea of fog. The thick fog swirls can be seen upon the farthest of horizons, refusing him a panoramic view of the mountains.
What does this painting tell us? What makes it an allegory of life? One common interpretation is that the wanderer has reached the zenith of his life, and he’s now gazing into the big uncertainty that is his future. Both life and death are hidden from view. It’s an illustration of the now, the past and the future outlook on death.
The colouration and contrast between the dark wanderer and the light fog create a division, parting the painting into two different worlds. One cannot look at this painting without being overwhelmed by melancholy. The knowledge of your inability to control the future as well as the past is depressing. And so, the wanderer wanders along, into his sea of fog and unknown future.
