Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) - Uttewalder Grund, 1825

 

Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) - Uttewalder Grund, 1825
oil on canvas, 91,5x70,5 cm
Lentos Art Museum, Linz

Enchanted moonlight beams dully over a dramatic rocky landscape. A man is on the left in the picture and it seems that he is most affected by the scenery. This image by Caspar David Friedrich was created in 1825. It is known that the painter himself repeatedly went to the scene to absorb the fascination of this rustic rock landscape of the remote Saxon Switzerland. Today, this location is part of the national park and retreat area for endangered species such as the eagle owl.

Now the painter was first and foremost an artist and not a naturalist. That is why the motif of the picture is to be understood in such a way that the dramatic and the size of the landscape interested him as a symbol for the emotional romance. The gloomy and eerie gorge cast a spell over the painter. The strong effects of contrasts light and dark are created by the full moonlight and the dark pine forest. In between lies a deep forest, covered in clouds of fog, and the fuzzy outline of the steep mountain walls is an intangible location. 

The man is standing in the backlight of the moonlight. His body contours are surrounded by light light. The creek in front of him comes from a waterfall that lies magically hidden in the depths of the landscape. Large boulders have been placed in the creek by the artist. Whether it is a natural image or artistic composition? In any case, the stones guide the viewer's gaze from the front back into the picture. The unspoiled scenery is additionally increased dramatically by fallen trees on the right side of the stream. The image Uttewalder reason initially oppressive and melancholy. On closer inspection, however, the moonlight on the illuminated cloud at the top of the picture and on the watercourse gives a conciliatory light on the landscape. It seems as if the world is at a standstill and the gloomy gorge with the green firs is changing into a protective, self-contained nature. The picture stands for the greatness of nature, the loneliness and the initially perceived menacing darkness. It also brightens up in the romantic sense for a glimpse of the next morning, which will again be supported by the sun's rays.

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