Extreme Nature and the Discovery of the American West

Caspar David Friedrich, Wanderer above the Sea of Fog William Henry Jackson, In the Rockies

William Henry Jackson

Caspar David Friedrich

History - Caspar David Friedrich

The aspects of the work came from travelling around Saxony and Bohemia. This painting began his new emphasis on figures. Human form in the picture makes it more positive. Started painting figures because of a new found love.

Wanderer Above A Sea of Fog

Black Mourning and death. Stems from black hens and black cats used in witchcraft. Blue Calming. Indicative of water. Yellow Death and new life. Small amounts of yellow in the sky could indicate approaching death.

History- William Henry Jackson

Worked with the government to shoot landscapes of the American West Traveling sparked a desire to shoot landscapes of the places he had visited. Traveled with Thomas Moran who is the possible human subject in the photograph Stopped working with the government to create his own work of Yellowstone to persuade the public to preserve the area.

Similarities
Both pictures depict solo men looking over a landscape Represent men being powerful due to the fact that only men were allowed to explore during this period. Depict unexplored wilderness Both artists captivated by the transcendentalist movement; God is surrounding everything in nature. There is no visible vanishing point in either work, representing the sublime. Both images depict a haunted traveler, later related to The Scream by Edvard Munch

Contrast
Friedrick
Various elements from Saxony and Bohemia; its not just one place. Dark, romantic style Because the translation for wanderer could also be hiker, this could be the human subject. The human subject is used as a symbol. Created work as an exposition of the more morose side of landscaping and romantic art.

Jackson
Jacksons photograph depicts one specific place. Straight-forward landscape The human in the photograph could possibly be Jacksons fellow photographer Thomas Moran. The human subject is used only for scale. Created work to help persuade the public to preserve the Yellowstone area.

Visual Elements
Jackson Freidrich

More about scale with the figure in the picture. Subject high up looking God like, shows man conquered wilderness, manifest destiny. You can feel the depth. Subject in top right third.

A lot of detail. Subject is right in the middle of the picture. Soft colours. Subject looking down on the world.

Romantic Era
It came at the end of the 18th century. At the end of the industrial revolution. All about expressing emotions. Movement was against science and conforming. This is when the term sublime came from.

How it Makes us Feel

Friedrich Jackson

Sad You cant see the subject in the paintings face so we can put ourselves in that perspective and imagine looking out onto the landscape. Depressed.

Straight forward mechanical picture. In awe from the scale. Small in comparison.

Bibliography
1. Smith, Andrew. "The Golden Age of Western Photography - William Henry Jackson." The Golden Age of Western Photography - William Henry Jackson. Andrew Smith Gallery, n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2012. 2. "Caspar David Friedrich." Oxford Reference. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2012. http://www.nps.gov/scbl/whj.htm Caspar David Friedruch - Oxford art online http://www.oxfordartonline.com/ subscriber/article/grove/art/T029956#F016064 William Henry Jackson - Oxford art online http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T043056?q=William+He nry +Jackson%2C+In+the+Rockies&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit