Boats in the Harbour at Evening 1828

Caspar David Friedrich’s painting of boats in the harbor at evening embodies key artistic ideas prevalent in Northern Europe during the Romantic era. Friedrich was German, and in the early 19th century, the various German-speaking principalities were experiencing a surge of nationalism in reaction to the Napoleonic occupation. Artists turned to folklore, mythology, and landscape in search of authentic German feeling. Friedrich’s paintings often invoke the sea and the sky as spaces of awe and mystery. The boats here suggest human endeavor, but they are small against the hugeness of nature. Historians look at the way Friedrich exhibited his works to understand the context of the art world. How did the art market operate? What was the role of state patronage? These are key questions that help us understand the painting’s meaning, as well as Friedrich's social and political values.