Port by Moonlight 1811

Caspar David Friedrich’s “Port by Moonlight” (1811) depicts a serene harbor scene bathed in the soft glow of moonlight. The painting is characterized by Friedrich’s signature Romantic style, emphasizing nature’s sublime power and the human experience of awe. Several ships are moored in the foreground, while a distant cityscape and a lone figure in the water add a sense of mystery and contemplation. This iconic work, now housed at the Oskar Reinhart Foundation in Winterthur, Switzerland, embodies Friedrich's fascination with the interplay of light and shadow, reflecting the Romantic era’s prevailing interest in emotional depth and spiritual introspection.