As in many of Caspar David Friedrich's paintings, the figures in the picture, seated or standing, turn their backs on the viewer, mysteriously drawing him into the line of vision, here towards the rising moon. Nature becomes an object of contemplation, even worship. br/br/ Two men have walked over the rocks and stones of the shore far out into the sea. Their posture betrays tense expectation rather than contemplation. They give the impression of waiting for one of the ships sailing on the sea in the twilight of the evening. Further ahead, two women in colourful dresses sit gracefully on a rock on the shore, gazing towards the men and the rising moon, which mysteriously illuminates the scene, still half hidden by clouds. br/br/ Two slightly offset triangles determine the geometric composition of the painting. The lower, earthly triangle runs from the anchors on the left in the foreground and from the women on the right towards the standing men. Above it, the clouds form a gently curved triangle with the moon at its apex. br/br/ Instead of vegetation, there are two anchors in the foreground. They symbolise the connection to the land and the shore, which provides security and stability. The leaning equipment points to the busyness of the men. In the background, almost ghostly, the whitish sailing ships form the centre between earth and sky and guide the thoughts, which glide from the solid shore to the unstable but promising moonlight as if in a dream world. br/br/ This impressive painting now hangs in the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg. Caspar David Friedrich, who depicted the mood of the Baltic Sea in a uniquely melancholy, sensual and passionate way, was already in demand and recognised in Russia during his lifetime.

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Moon Rising Over the Sea by Caspar David Friedrich. Available as an art print on canvas, photo paper, watercolor board, uncoated paper or Japanese paper.
anchor · rocks · lovers · couple · fa00271 · State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia / Bridgeman Images