The Dreamer sits on a window ledge of a ruin.  He is not inside the ruin nor is he outside the ruin.  Inside the ruin are dead trees, while outside life thrives.  The dreamer looks sideways, neither out of the ruin nor into the ruin.  Is this not true of a dreamer, of someone who lives half in the metaphysical realm and half in the physical world.  It is a delicate balance.

Morning in the Mountains, completed in 1821-1823, speaks of a misty, grand expanse.

In The Giant Mountains, 1835, Friedrich uses the mist in the mountains to separate the mountains and fall into the river that weaves a winding path through the scene.

Sunset (Brothers), a physically tiny piece that is powerful on a sensory and psychological level.  The landscape is simple in detail, yet has an amazing light created by reflection off of water.

Seashore (Nets) has a warm, glowing horizon line that draws the viewer into the lonely scene void of humans.  The scene is quiet, created with subdued, complimentary purple and yellow.  Birds create slight movement toward the sun or moon in the sky.

A mist creates a different kind of depth in Night in Harbour (Sisters).  A church and the masts of boats is all we see.  Why is there a Jewish star at the top?

Moonrise over the sea was completed in 1821, and presents a beautiful, yet contemplative scene.  I noticed several triangles in the scene.  There is a triangle where the points include the large anchors in the front, the two women sitting on a rock, and the two men standing on a rock further into the sea.  There is also a triangle between the moon, the anchors, and the men, or the moon, men, and women.  I point out those physical triangles to set the stage to point out the triangle that I think is most important.  That is, the triangle between the one viewing the picture, in this case me, the people in the image, and the moon.  The contemplation of the ones in the picture is echoed by me as I look at the painting.

Sunset (Brothers) is a tiny painting compared to some of the larger ones in the room, yet it has a great presence.  The landscape is simple with a warm glow of dusk.  The water reflects this fading light.

On a Sailing Ship is full of youthful love.  This painting was done in 1818 and 1821.  A couple clasps hands as they peer off the bow of a ship at a distant city or port.  Is the sky golden with the morning light of their relationship?  This painting is said to be completed after Friedrich returned from his honeymoon.  Unlike a number of paintings by Friedrich, where the human figures seem alone in the presence of others, this couple appears connected in their thoughts.  The couple are linked to each other, and they are related with their surroundings.

Swans was painted before 1832 and depicts two swans encased in foliage.  There is a sliver of moon sending out light into the scene. Why swans?  Perhaps because they are known for forming ties and staying with one partner for life.

Reflections, time, and speed are ideas that I am interested in that are elements in this photograph.  I saw the idea behind this image on my first day in the Netherlands last autumn.  I decided to attempt to capture this photograph the next time I saw it.  A few days later, I spent time waiting, watching, and shooting before events fell into place in order to obtain this result.  It is a picture of a young woman standing in front of a tram.  The tram passes by and she waits.  Perhaps the image would be better technically if someone had posed standing absolutely still, but this is a slice of busy life in a city.  This is life as it happens.

While in the Neue Pinakothek, Munich, Germany another more contemporary crucifixion and rather graphic image by Lovis Corinth, captured my attention.  His work is entitled The Red Christ and was completed in 1922.  This Christ has depleted outstretched limbs complimented with thick red blood.  The support is covered with swirling areas of color and large areas of paint.  Out of this mess is an experience of the horrific moment that Christ was stuck with a spear.  A crowd is depicted around the cross, with all but one or two figures indistinguishable.  Out of the works in this post, this piece, best depicts the horrific nature of the death on the cross.

These are four different scenes of the same story.  The paintings were done in four different centuries over five hundred years.  Style changed.  The message had different emphasis, but the story is the same.