View of Arkona with Moon Rising 1803

Caspar David Friedrich rendered this image of Arkona, using sepia, which imbues the scene with a sense of historical remoteness. A lone, broken boat lies on the shore. These boats, often appearing in varied states of decay, are recurrent symbols in Friedrich’s oeuvre, evoking themes of mortality and transience. The boat is a vessel carrying us across the waters of life and death. We can find this symbol echoed in ancient Egyptian funerary rites, where boats ferried souls across the Nile to the afterlife. Friedrich, here, isn't merely depicting a boat; he's tapping into a reservoir of collective memory. A similar boat appears in the myth of Charon, the ferryman of Hades, who transports souls across the river Styx. The image's power lies not only in its aesthetic qualities but in its emotional resonance. The sepia tones and the solemn moon create a melancholic mood, drawing viewers into a subconscious contemplation of life’s ephemeral nature. This symbol progresses non-linearly, evolving and resurfacing in various cultural contexts.