Moonrise by the Sea 1822

Caspar David Friedrich painted "Moonrise by the Sea" in the early 19th century, a time when Romanticism was in full bloom, and the socio-political landscape of Europe was being reshaped by the aftershocks of the Enlightenment and the Napoleonic Wars. Here, three figures are perched on rocks by the sea, gazing at the moon. But who are these people? And what does it mean for them to be women? Friedrich painted women from the back, often denied of their individuality as subjects. The two women, with their matching dresses, are almost like twins. Is this how women are perceived? As a collective, and not as individuals? "The artist should paint not only what he sees before him, but also what he sees in himself." Friedrich said. The question remains: what do we see in this painting? This artwork invites us to contemplate our place in the vastness of nature, and to reflect on the complex interplay between personal identity and collective experience.