“On a Sailing Ship”
Today, a painting from one of my personal favorite artists…
“On a Sailing Ship” is an oil on canvas painting by the German Romantic artist, Caspar David Friedrich, from 1818 to 1820. Known for his moody and sublime paintings of a sole figure against a stark landscape, this painting holds a much lighter tone and feel.
In this painting, Friedrich depicts a sailing vessel sailing off into the horizon. There are two figures at the prow of the ship, a man and a woman, holding hands looking at the approaching view. In the distance, the horizon of a city is depicted as a mute gray. The clouds in the sky lend a dramatic and romantic air to the scene. The nearness of the boat on the right part of the canvas gives the viewer a sense of being there in the boat with the couple.
Friedrich painted this piece just after he married Caroline Bommer in 1818. The couple had a happy union and from this point forward, Friedrich would sometimes depict female figures or couples in his work. A far cry from the lonesome solitary figures in his work that he was known for.
In this painting, the couple holding hands at the prow of the ship are often interpreted as Caspar David Friedrich and his new wife, Caroline Bommer. Perhaps they are holding hands facing the journey of their new life together.
“On a Sailing Ship” is currently on display at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
For more on Caspar David Friedrich, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
