In Focus: Caspar David Friedrich’s Wanderer in a Sea of Fog

A fascinating online lecture organised by the London Art History Society focusing on this picture by Caspar David Friedrich from 1818. 

The format was surprisingly good, delivered via Zoom, and the lecturer, Mariska Beekenkamp-Wladimiroff, was very clear and had good PowerPoint slides which worked well in this format. She seemed quite experienced at delivering lectures this way so was a good choice for the Society’s first foray into this medium. 

The talk gave a brief outline of Freidrich’s life and career and went though the historical context of the picture looking at Romanticism and 19th German Nationalism. It then looked at various themes in the picture such as symbolism and landscape. 

An enjoyable hour in lockdown and I hope the society continues with these type of presentations whatever the new normal is as it was easy to attend and enjoyable.


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