Night Light

The night has long been a subject for artists. Throughout history it had stood as a symbol of sadness, morbidity and even death. But why must this beautiful subject be bound to such a linear interpretation and expression?

In the depths of Romanticism, the artistic movement that took place in the early to mid-19th century, many artists took it upon themselves to explore how nature can communicate emotion, ideals and even spiritual truth in its intricate beauty. These artists began discovering new ways of relaying multiple symbolisms through their natural subjects.

It is in this ground-breaking time that Caspar David Friedrich delved into the symbolism tied to the night, the moon and its light. Many of his famous landscape oil paintings include depictions of the night and the far off illuminating sphere, striving to represent its grandeur in many ways. His depictions of the many stages of night, and their each individual symbolisms, are the prime example of this. The paintings here collected communicate many unique feelings and emotions through their representations of the night, especially its use of light. From a deep longing to a calm reflective romance, from an overwhelming hope, to a devastating despair, Friedrich displays a staggering skill in manipulating a single subject to communicate such rich and unique feelings.

This exhibition contains but a few of the many paintings by Caspar David Friedrich that hold the subject of the night. They display the cycle of each night, from sunset, to midnight, to morning’s break. Collected from all over the world, only due to the collaboration of many noteworthy collections and museums, these paintings hold a deeper truth and a unique multi-faceted approach to representation.

Caspar David Friedrich, Moonrise By the Sea, 1822 

Oil on Canvas. Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin W.S. 53

Day is over and the sun descends over the far off horizon. The moon peeks over the edge of the world, welcoming the night. Here Caspar David Friedrich depicts three figures at the center of a shoreline landscape. They relax gratefully on boulders as the sea extends towards the source of light. The soft hues of moonlight gently illuminate the evening as people stop and reflect, relaxing back as the day comes to a close to reveal night waiting to offer rest. Friedrich shows how the night and the moon can offer a respite and a calm relaxation. So the night is here shown as an object of desire and hope after a hard day’s work. But what else is brought with the darkness?

Caspar David Friedrich, City At Moonrise, 1817

Oil on Canvas, Museum Oskar Reinhart. 161

The night is still young as the moon arises. Being one of the two paintings in this gallery that possess no human form, the power of the night and the moon are thus not displayed by expression or body language, but rather by the emphasis on colours and inanimate objects. Here, far off in the distance a royal city rests on the horizon as the moon, as the title suggests, rises up behind it, illuminating its ramparts gloriously. Thus in the farther reaches of the painting the night beckons, with hope and glory. But in the foreground sits dark and desolate dilapidated wire and stumps, representing a struggle for the viewer, that comes with the night and our own unique circumstances. Thus in viewing this painting as a whole the far off moon and light offer the hope and prosperity we yearn for that are currently hidden from us this night.

Caspar David Friedrich, A Walk at Dusk, 1830-35 

Oil on Canvas, J. Paul. Getty Museum Gallery W201 PA. 14

The light of the sun is gone. Now only the moon remains. Here Friedrich represents a calm and moody contemplation in what seems to be a cold night. The man is wrapped tight but is it protection against the chill or from the night itself? The somber hues of blue for the dark sky and the misty distance display a new side of the night. Here it is painted in a way to communicate how the night’s calm, loneliness, and peace can cause us to reflect on our own individual struggles and troubles. Thus, Friedrich once again explores the night, revealing its melancholic and sulky feeling.

Caspar David Friedrich, Two Men Contemplating the Moon, 1825-30 

Oil on Canvas, MET Museum, 2000.51

As one of Friedrich’s most famous landscapes, Two Men Contemplating the Moon, is the epiphany of how depictions of the night, with emphasis on light, can communicate far more than just the usual dark moods. Here contemplation is represented again, but now with a much brighter and more hopeful tone. The men are relaxed, not tense, and enjoying each other’s company. The moon casts enough light fro them to see and walk along this jagged path. While the painting does seem light, as if in day, the brilliance of the moon suggests it lends all of this light. Here Friedrich represents friendship and companionship as the men brave the harsh foreboding landscape to gaze upon the moon, which is used once again to suggest hope and a longing for truth.

Caspar David Friedrich, Man and Woman Contemplating the Moon, 1824 

Oil on Canvas, Alte Nationalgalerie Berlin, A11 887. 

Very similar to Two Men Contemplating The Moon as it contains the same landscape, this painting still manages to lend its own representation of the night. While the man and woman are also standing and contemplating while they gaze of the moon, this night is darker and the moon is not as clear. Here Friedrich suggests a romantic tone as the viewer wonders what the relationship between the man and the woman is, although it suggests an intimate one as she leans on his shoulder. Additionally he glow emanating from the moon silhouettes them against the night sky. The moon stands in greater contrast in this darker painting and the night once again suggests hope and joy (and possibly a better relationship), but now in the face of darkness.

Caspar David Friedrich, Wreck in the Moonlight, 1835

Oil on Canvas, Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin

It is now the dead of night. Now it is dark and somber. There is almost no light in the sky as even the moon is shaded in cloud. Once again there is no person to show the feeling with their body language, but rather the desolate scene of a shipwreck suggests the morbidity this painting displays. But even more than that, this piece by Friedrich speak of disaster already occurred, with no hope remaining. Now all we can do is look aback and imagine the terror that took place here. The night keeps the truth of this incident at bay, as the moon failed to reveal its truth. Thus the night can do far more than simply suggest a dark mood. It possesses the ability to communicate terror and helplessness.

Caspar David Friedrich, Woman Before the Rising Sun, 1818-1820 

Oil on Canvas, Museum Folkwang, 45

New glory is found in each new day. The cycle is done as the day arrives and night is defeated. This painting, though not of the night itself, shows what the night failed to display, endless possibility. The woman depicted here welcomes the new day, her hands extend wide as she stares off into the rising sun. The moon is now gone. Its light has been shaded by the brilliance of the coming day. Thus, while the night can depict hope far off, it fails to deliver the joy and possibility that comes with each new day. Caspar David Friedrich explores his final moments of night here as darkness is cast aside. The night possesses many wonders and can be manipulated to communicate many emotions. What does the night represent for you?