Seán M. Williams

Observing nature observed: the art of Caspar David Friedrich

Friedrich’s scenes may appear to depict nature unbound, but they are also famous for their Rückenfiguren in the foreground, the men and women with their backs to us, facing what we also see

‘Moonrise over the Sea’, by Caspar David Friedrich, 1821. [© BPK/NationalGalerie SMB/Jörg P. Anders]
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  • Caspar David Friedrich: Art for a New Age

    Markus Bertch and Johannes Grave

    Thames & Hudson, pp. 496, £50

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