I live in nothern Germany. Caspar David Friedrich's paintings are somehow special to me. Even though they're 150 years old, I feel like I know these landscapes, I know the fog, I know the woods, I know the seas Friedrich is depicting. It's like I'm living in the world he painted, not the other way around. Even though I'm not that into art, I'll always pause whenever I see a picture of Friedrich. If you like the tone Friedrich is depicting in his art, I highly recommend reading The Rider on the White Horse (Der Schimmelreiter) by Theodor Storm.
Vielen Dank für die Empfehlung. Hatte den Schimmelreiter nicht auf dem Schirm gehabt, ihn mir aber direkt nachdem ich deinen Kommentar gelesen hatte besorgt. Sehr gutes Buch und wie du sagst, passt es zu den Werken von CDF.
Im American but I came across the painting of his, "the chasseur in the forest" and I absolutely fell in love with that painting. The dark, melancholy, cold feel of that painting resonated with me deeply even though I'm not into art. If you haven't seen that painting you should check it out. I love how he depicts the natural environment in all his paintings
The thing I appreciate about Nerdwriter's content is that it never feels like a cookie cutter copy and paste of his previous videos. Each video stands on its own, with its own aesthetic, tone, etc.
American here, I absolutely love his work. He's my favorite painter of all time. As someone who doesnt really like summer, but who loves the melancholy and terrifying beauty of winter and the gloom, his paintings really resonate with me. We can find the beauty in such hostile, humbling environments. His painting, "the chasseur in the forest", was my first ever painting of his that I had seen and I absolutely love it. I'm not even really into art, and I especially don't know much about art, but I love how his paintings can be loved by everyone
"Wanderer above the Sea of Fog" has always been amongst my very favorite paintings, and I had the pleasure of seeing it person on display in Hamburg. I'm not a super sophisticated fine art guy, yet found myself staring at this masterpiece for nearly an hour. Van Gogh's "Wheatfield with Crows" is the only other work of art to have this profound impression upon me. Thanks for bringing the brilliance of Caspar David Friedrich to light. Excellent work: subscribed.
I am being humble when I am telling you that I am the most powerful strongest coolest smartest most famous greatest funniest Y*uTub3r of all time! That's the reason I have multiple girlfriends and I show them off all the time! Bye bye vb
A 6 minute video from nerdwriter is like a whole semester class.The Way you define and deliver your Ideas are Always amazing. Thank You For Enlightenment.
Thank you for this one! I'm a german literature student with the goal to become a teacher and my final exam will include the German Romanticism as a focus. Friedrich captures this movement and this perspective on life better than anybody else and through his paintings he draws you into longing of some transcenden and greater, something deeper. This feeling of longing which is portraied by sunsets and also the Rückenfigur gazing into the distance is one of the most central motivs in the German Romanticism. Great Work Nerdwriter!
What a great way to kick off the year. And what perfect subject matter to set the tone. Much love, Evan. Always an honor to see a notification from you.
A quote about Friedreich's work I think about often, "here is a man who has discovered the tragedy of landscape" I love Caspar's work so very, very much, nice to hear you talk about it. Something about his work always feels like it promises something just out of reach of what is depicted, the landscapes are desolate but they feel like they're calling you. Especially how often he uses frames within his composition, a ruined window or a circle of tree limbs, they feel like a portal that wants you to get closer! To stand next to the figures in the image. wanderer over the sea fog is also deeply overrated, give me one of his cathedral ruins any day
I remember looking at an art book as a young child. I stumbled upon the CDF "Wonderer" and the image and the feeling it gave me stayed with me my entire life... Thank you for this beautiful breakdown.
Had a similar experience. So Something about that painting stands out within the art book luckily I’ve now been able to see it in person and it is beautiful
Caspar David Friedrich is also exceptional at painting the moon. It doesn't really come across in prints or in pictures on the internet, but in person, they're stunning. His moon is always really vibrant, and it looks like it's glowing, as if he captured actual moonlight.
*the "Wanderer Above The Sea Of Fog" is honestly the most breathtakingly beautiful painting i've ever seen. the way the man was standing at the edge of the cliff, along with his cane looking out in the distance, at the haze-filled mountains just feels so liberating.* 🌫
Wonderful video essay. Casper's artwork is amazing. What I get from this video is that there are two approaches to the truth about our place in the cosmos. One approach is the sublime and the the other approach is the absurd (as in the philosophy of Absurdism). The sublime is like the siren's song. But the absurd, though not a swan song, can be sublime it it's own way too. However to me, they are two sides of the same coin pointing to what I call the unknowable and the nameless; two things that cannot be talked about directly but can only be pointed to and must be experienced for oneself to understand and comprehend.
@@sgttomas That's one way to look at it bearing in mind the conundrum as to whether the concept of meaning makes any sense without someone ascribing said meaning in the first place. Both interpretations are essentially anthropomorphic, possibly even somewhat sollipsistic.
Ah the mystic experience! Isn't it fascinating how one is spending years to encode the most difficult languages of philosophy only to see, that what they searched for was what cannot be talked about directly? In one way those years were lost as the direct experience was available to you all this time! On the other hand: Who is lucky enough to discover it without searching? Even if its right in front of you; Its so close, you might disregard it your entire life.
I just wanted to say that I find myself constantly returning to this video. I have watched all of your videos but for some reason this one stands out, the background music and sound mixed with the snow overlayed create a beautiful mood which makes this feel more like an experience than an essay. I find the paintings to be beautiful and i love the way you gave meaning to them without going into too much detail whilst also linking it to our current times. A timeless video, thank you
This video is absolutely groundbreaking for me. I could never quite pinpoint why so much of landscape photography has no meaning to me, and yet some just hit you in the stomach. It’s exactly this - the sublime. Your quote “the landscapes are not the subject of these canvases. The subject is the feeling he has in the presence of them” is beyond-words resonant with me. Brb i’m just going to make a print of it to stick on my desk. Thank you
Having just finished a semester in which separate classes discussed both romantic painters and romantic literature I’ve been trying to explain the emotion of the sublime to my friends and family for… a while. This is beautifully and deliciously well articulated. Thanks!
It's a funny coincidence you uploaded this today because I talked about Casper David Friedrich on a hike today with a friend. We were on a cliff overlooking the shore and sea with fog below and ahead of us. It reminded the both of us of "Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog", a painting that we were introduced to in our school years. I remember when I was shown that painting. We were shown many paintings but not all had any real influence on me, but this one did. I still remember how my teacher taught us the concept of dualism, and how you could see it in the sky and the fog. It's no surprise that it's Friedrich's most famous. I'm not familiar with the rest of his works, but every single painting you showed in this video was beautiful and really exemplifies the feeling that I sometimes get when I'm in nature. I love that humbling and silencing feeling.
This video was a masterpiece! I always love your videos but as an artist currently painting sublime landscapes, this video really spoke to me. Keep doing what you do Evan!
I keep coming back to this video since I first saw it because it's so beautifully explained. It teleports you to a different imaginary yet believable world, FC David's world and Nerdwriter perfectly carries out his role as a guide. Thanks Nerdwriter for this beautiful video!
As a German studies major I suggest diving into 'the uncanny', also a very prevalent idea stemming from German Romanticism and popularized by Sigumund Freud, as it has informed so much of Lovecraftian horror and acts like the other side of the coin to the sublime. It has a huge role in understanding the eerieness of films like THE SHINING or Japanese Kwaidan.
Wonderful essay! My favorite painting ever is “The Abbey in the Oakwood,” I think it draws a fine line between a somewhat unsettling yet somber atmosphere
For years, we had a reproduction of Friedrich's work "On a Sailing Ship" in our living room, a poster from a National Gallery of Canada exhibit. Thanks for this beautiful and accessible exploration of his work!
I will never forget seeing "Abby in the Oakwood" in real life. I came back to the museum to see it over and over again. What I love about good painters is that they share a feeling with you - a feeling beyond time. That's what CDF does (and some other artists as well such as Van Gogh for example). For a moment, you share the experience of being human with this person. That's what is so beautiful about CDF.
My favourite painter!! As my friend once said: «If Hegel, Leibniz, Kant or Schelling were artists, their work would necessarily look like the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich»
Thank you for this. The first time I saw “Winter Landscape with Church, 1811” in the National Gallery, I became overcome with emotion. Even now I’m not sure I could articulate what I experienced in that moment. Perhaps it was a brief communion with the sublime. Related, I have always loved “Cloister Cemetery in the Snow.” If Arvo Pärt’s Te Deum could be painted, it would be Cloister. I hold out hope that it isn’t lost forever.
4:43 this painting immediately made me think of the Land of the Lustrous anime and it’s Lunarians. His subsequent discussion of the definition of the Sublime including the idea of being in terror of something more vast than ourselves and being incapable or wrapping our minds around something, reminded me a lot of the mood and atmosphere that the show imparts and the lunarians themselves.
I get this feeling of being unwelcome since many of the Casper's work shows only ruins or man-made objects in disrepair. I think the sci-fi feeling might be because it's like humanity's presence is almost getting pushed out, as if we don't belong or that we are the aliens among nature.
I've been a fan of Nerdwriter for many years, but just this last term I took a 4th year uni course called Visual Theory which covers a lot of what he speaks about in depth, and it was probably my favourite class I've ever taken. I have a newfound appreciation for these videos. In a sea of wikipedia researched video essays, Evan really makes profound content and its just incredible to me that this kind of essay is available for free for anyone interested. Thank you for the content!
@@mubasshiraal I got mine from a art show with his work in a museum in Berlin. I'd suggest looking for a display of his art in your nearest museum and visiting it when it happens!
@@naivety Thanks bro but I live in a third world country. There's no museum like that near me and I'm pretty damn sure directors of them also never heard about Casper David
Thankyou for this presentation of the subject. I've always been intrigued by 'Wanderer'. Learning more about it and the artist was much appreciated. Maybe it's because I've always lived in the subtropics and have had a surfeit of garish, even lurid colour, and the aggressive sun, but something about these gelid landscapes beckons me with such a restful welcome, like the filling of a loss. Although it would without question have its own harshness and ferocity. I genuinely appreciated the video and the research and time you put into it. Not least because it also introduced me to three new tracks to add to my library. Beautiful backtrack selection. In all, it was, well, sublime. Thankyou.
As someone from the city where Friedrich was born and where he spent a lot of time I appreciate how important an artist he is considered internationally. Thank you for this small essay :)
I am in love with your ability to convey the message of art in every form so well... I think it's rare that especially youtubers use filmmaking so effectively as a fo of expression. I really felt like I was there with the snow and wind effects, especially in the end 😊
Dude, you just speak to my soul and I'm crying of joyment. This day was the first snowfall in virginia and also my first snowfall of my life, i was having those thoughts because I'm from Perú, i just moved cuz of work and it was so mesmerazing. Nature it's incredible and i can't wrap my mind of everything it does, just like you said. Thank you for my making this a humbling experience
The subject matter speaks of humbling experiences. Sometimes we all need a humbling experience so as not to take for granted the blissfulness of every given moment. For each one is gift, and this one is my favorite. The next one will be my next favorite moment.
I was introduced to Casper in college and I’ve loved his work for 20 years. Really happy you circled around him and reflected upon his work in our times. Well done
Never have I heard someone describe the feeling of what it's like to be outside and witness the sublime so beautifully. I feel it too, sometimes even on just a simple walk. I try to share it doesn't always connect with everyone because it's a perspective, either you feel it or you dont. But when it can be shared with another it is a wonderful thing to behold and a memory you never forget together.
I lived in Dresden for a long time. You can visit Saxon Switzerland and walk the painters way. It's over 100km long and after that you definitely understand the true genius of these painters. It's a really breathtaking experience and takes you to beautiful places.
I don’t think I’ve heard about Friedrich before this video, sadly; but his style reminds me a bit of the norwegian painter Theodor Kittelsen’s work, which I absolutely love. Great video, as always
His paintings gradually stir feelings of inexorable and infinite sadness. Perhaps because it also rouses the sense of mortality and envy that the planet will be here long after I'm gone but is indifferent to its longevity.
That opening shot of the snow :') same one used in the Holocene - bon Iver video essay that introduced me to this channel all those years ago and had me instantly fall in love
Thanks for this video - I know it’s a popular image but ‘Wanderer Above the Mists’ is why I love art works and Nature scenes. Now I wonder about René Magritte’s Apple man figure and Casper David Freiderich’s depiction of people from behind (both are figures with obscured identities)
coming back here for the second time this week because I keep thinking of this video. everything is so beautifully shown and explained. I really feel the urge to read more about the sublime. and now Fridrich, alongside with Sargent and Monet, is one of my favorite painters! thank you for posting this!
That final painting, of the woman contemplating the darkening skies, is my favorite Friedrich painting. Back in the 90s before the internet really found its' footing, for years I looked for any book of Friedrich's paintings, and could not find it in any store. Until a visit to Munich. Going to a bookstore there specifically to check out the art books... is that unusual for a tourist to do?... I finally found it! The last copy they had, even. So I left the store a happy man, bag in hand with two books: the Friedrich book and one on early works by Joseph Beuys, mostly watercolors and gouache.
I'm pretty sure his mountainous paintings were also inspired by the Elbsandsteingebirge, since it is much easier to reach from Dresden than the Harz is and the paintings remind me more of it.
By the end of this video, I recognized a similar experience. I felt like I was playing Skyrim again. It’s fun to think of developers at Bethesda being inspired by similar paintings to make some of my favorite worlds.
You have revived the most relevant depiction and discussion of Sublime in online painting discussions AND provided gems of insight into one of my heroes. Many thanks.
I'm so glad I stumbled upon you! This video is so well-done. I cannot wait to show my kids as Friedrich is the artist we're studying this term. Thank you so much!!
I think its fair to say each video Nerwriter releases is a metaphor for the sublime, or at least a very sublime way of video producing. Congratulations, cant wait to read your book!
Friedrichs pieces are just so calming and somehow peaceful. While there still are humans in there, they are 'put in their place' and are tiny compared to the nature. How it should be. Thats why i liked his paintings the most since i first saw them in school. A truly great artist.
What a beautiful video! Friedrich is one of my favourite artists and this video made his art more amazing than before! The video gives such a unique experience that the video does not feel like 6 mins at all, it felt longer lol
I live in nothern Germany. Caspar David Friedrich's paintings are somehow special to me. Even though they're 150 years old, I feel like I know these landscapes, I know the fog, I know the woods, I know the seas Friedrich is depicting. It's like I'm living in the world he painted, not the other way around. Even though I'm not that into art, I'll always pause whenever I see a picture of Friedrich.
If you like the tone Friedrich is depicting in his art, I highly recommend reading The Rider on the White Horse (Der Schimmelreiter) by Theodor Storm.
@Emilio J Wieso? Das war gutes und lesbares Englisch. Oder meintest du den Schimmelreiter?
Denmark and Poland look alike in terms of the landscapes
@@koraptd6085 Especially the Danish islands Lolland and Falster just north of Rügen. Incidentally, Caspar David Friedrich studied in Copenhagen.
Vielen Dank für die Empfehlung. Hatte den Schimmelreiter nicht auf dem Schirm gehabt, ihn mir aber direkt nachdem ich deinen Kommentar gelesen hatte besorgt. Sehr gutes Buch und wie du sagst, passt es zu den Werken von CDF.
Im American but I came across the painting of his, "the chasseur in the forest" and I absolutely fell in love with that painting. The dark, melancholy, cold feel of that painting resonated with me deeply even though I'm not into art. If you haven't seen that painting you should check it out. I love how he depicts the natural environment in all his paintings
The thing I appreciate about Nerdwriter's content is that it never feels like a cookie cutter copy and paste of his previous videos. Each video stands on its own, with its own aesthetic, tone, etc.
Bro he’s literally copied a bunch of peoples videos before lmao 💀🤦♂️
Me too. Beautiful yet precise and appllicable.
@@Leon-ub8pe copied or drew inspiration from?? There's a big difference.
@@fariskhan7884 both
@@Leon-ub8pe can you name which? Not tryna start something, just genuinely curious.
What a start to the new year, a nerdwriter video
I would say this is THE nerdwriyer video. Honey, he has improved greatly improved and ditched the hyper analytical style for a nuanced realism
for real dude. completely accurate
Ikr? His videos are just... sublime!
I had to pause at 1:45 to wrap my mind around how perfectly the lighting is done. Incredible.
Nerdwriter videos have the quality of the Sublime.
American here, I absolutely love his work. He's my favorite painter of all time. As someone who doesnt really like summer, but who loves the melancholy and terrifying beauty of winter and the gloom, his paintings really resonate with me. We can find the beauty in such hostile, humbling environments. His painting, "the chasseur in the forest", was my first ever painting of his that I had seen and I absolutely love it. I'm not even really into art, and I especially don't know much about art, but I love how his paintings can be loved by everyone
"Wanderer above the Sea of Fog" has always been amongst my very favorite paintings, and I had the pleasure of seeing it person on display in Hamburg. I'm not a super sophisticated fine art guy, yet found myself staring at this masterpiece for nearly an hour. Van Gogh's "Wheatfield with Crows" is the only other work of art to have this profound impression upon me. Thanks for bringing the brilliance of Caspar David Friedrich to light. Excellent work: subscribed.
omg samee. i feel like the "Wanderer" painting encapsulates a sense of freedom.
i highly recommend you to check out the "Elbsandstein Gebirge", its the landschape the painting was inspired by.
The Nerd has risen to bring us content for the new year..
2022 is starting off great 👍🏻
I am being humble when I am telling you that I am the most powerful strongest coolest smartest most famous greatest funniest Y*uTub3r of all time! That's the reason I have multiple girlfriends and I show them off all the time! Bye bye vb
@@AxxLAfriku WTF???
your comment is _100%_ true!!
Wow. I’m not into fine art but I love watching your breakdowns. Thanks, and happy holidays.
Perhaps now you get more curious …
I really love this.
agreed dude. absolutely correct dude
His videos sparked an interest in paintings in me. Since then, it's been a wonderful discovery, analysis, and exploration.
The painting at 1:06 definitely inspired a famous set piece in a beloved film featuring dinosaurs
Holy cow, you’re right! Amazing!
A 6 minute video from nerdwriter is like a whole semester class.The Way you define and deliver your Ideas are Always amazing. Thank You For Enlightenment.
Ur trippin
Absolutely!!
Thank you for this one! I'm a german literature student with the goal to become a teacher and my final exam will include the German Romanticism as a focus. Friedrich captures this movement and this perspective on life better than anybody else and through his paintings he draws you into longing of some transcenden and greater, something deeper. This feeling of longing which is portraied by sunsets and also the Rückenfigur gazing into the distance is one of the most central motivs in the German Romanticism. Great Work Nerdwriter!
What a great way to kick off the year. And what perfect subject matter to set the tone. Much love, Evan. Always an honor to see a notification from you.
you're unequivocally true!!
"Two Men Contemplating the Moon" is probably one of my favorite paintings of all time. This is such a great video on Friedrich's work
A quote about Friedreich's work I think about often, "here is a man who has discovered the tragedy of landscape"
I love Caspar's work so very, very much, nice to hear you talk about it. Something about his work always feels like it promises something just out of reach of what is depicted, the landscapes are desolate but they feel like they're calling you. Especially how often he uses frames within his composition, a ruined window or a circle of tree limbs, they feel like a portal that wants you to get closer! To stand next to the figures in the image.
wanderer over the sea fog is also deeply overrated, give me one of his cathedral ruins any day
I remember looking at an art book as a young child. I stumbled upon the CDF "Wonderer" and the image and the feeling it gave me stayed with me my entire life... Thank you for this beautiful breakdown.
Had a similar experience. So
Something about that painting stands out within the art book luckily I’ve now been able to see it in person and it is beautiful
CDF is my favorite painter. The ending of this episode gave me goosebumps.
Caspar David Friedrich is also exceptional at painting the moon. It doesn't really come across in prints or in pictures on the internet, but in person, they're stunning. His moon is always really vibrant, and it looks like it's glowing, as if he captured actual moonlight.
Your works helped me open my eyes and heart back into art. I cannot thank you enough for these uploads.
*the "Wanderer Above The Sea Of Fog" is honestly the most breathtakingly beautiful painting i've ever seen. the way the man was standing at the edge of the cliff, along with his cane looking out in the distance, at the haze-filled mountains just feels so liberating.* 🌫
I was captivated by these paintings in Art History class. It is so “sublime” to revisit them after all this time in adult life, post-pandemic
This couldn't have come at a better time! Currently writing an essay focusing on nature and the sublime :D
Make sure to read the darkest Italy… the sublime is actually not as noble a concept as it appears…
@@ramosbarajas cheers! Sounds like an interesting read
I live in Dresden now and I like how I always discover new and beautiful things about the city.
When the world needs him the most, he returns.
Yeah, nerdwriter is like that.
I always loved Friedrich, but I never was able to put it into words. His works defy standard comprehension
The sublime is inexplicable.
This is so amazing, it's exactly the type of nuances and feelings I admire in paintings I'm so glad you made me discover this artist!
Same here, Mate😄
Wonderful video essay. Casper's artwork is amazing. What I get from this video is that there are two approaches to the truth about our place in the cosmos. One approach is the sublime and the the other approach is the absurd (as in the philosophy of Absurdism).
The sublime is like the siren's song. But the absurd, though not a swan song, can be sublime it it's own way too. However to me, they are two sides of the same coin pointing to what I call the unknowable and the nameless; two things that cannot be talked about directly but can only be pointed to and must be experienced for oneself to understand and comprehend.
Like: meaning versus meaninglessness?
@@sgttomas That's one way to look at it bearing in mind the conundrum as to whether the concept of meaning makes any sense without someone ascribing said meaning in the first place. Both interpretations are essentially anthropomorphic, possibly even somewhat sollipsistic.
Ah the mystic experience!
Isn't it fascinating how one is spending years to encode the most difficult languages of philosophy only to see, that what they searched for was what cannot be talked about directly? In one way those years were lost as the direct experience was available to you all this time! On the other hand: Who is lucky enough to discover it without searching? Even if its right in front of you; Its so close, you might disregard it your entire life.
@@crispian67 but then it wouldn't be sublime meaning?
I just wanted to say that I find myself constantly returning to this video. I have watched all of your videos but for some reason this one stands out, the background music and sound mixed with the snow overlayed create a beautiful mood which makes this feel more like an experience than an essay. I find the paintings to be beautiful and i love the way you gave meaning to them without going into too much detail whilst also linking it to our current times. A timeless video, thank you
This video is absolutely groundbreaking for me. I could never quite pinpoint why so much of landscape photography has no meaning to me, and yet some just hit you in the stomach. It’s exactly this - the sublime. Your quote “the landscapes are not the subject of these canvases. The subject is the feeling he has in the presence of them” is beyond-words resonant with me. Brb i’m just going to make a print of it to stick on my desk. Thank you
Having just finished a semester in which separate classes discussed both romantic painters and romantic literature I’ve been trying to explain the emotion of the sublime to my friends and family for… a while. This is beautifully and deliciously well articulated. Thanks!
It's a funny coincidence you uploaded this today because I talked about Casper David Friedrich on a hike today with a friend. We were on a cliff overlooking the shore and sea with fog below and ahead of us. It reminded the both of us of "Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog", a painting that we were introduced to in our school years. I remember when I was shown that painting. We were shown many paintings but not all had any real influence on me, but this one did. I still remember how my teacher taught us the concept of dualism, and how you could see it in the sky and the fog. It's no surprise that it's Friedrich's most famous. I'm not familiar with the rest of his works, but every single painting you showed in this video was beautiful and really exemplifies the feeling that I sometimes get when I'm in nature. I love that humbling and silencing feeling.
This video was a masterpiece! I always love your videos but as an artist currently painting sublime landscapes, this video really spoke to me. Keep doing what you do Evan!
ua-cam.com/video/_Q4Ra0UT-2U/v-deo.html
Neuroscience of beauty and aesthetics
Oddly, I think there’s a comfort in his paintings. There’s a quiet, eternal sleep quality to them, I think.
The ruines of the "gothic cathedral" are located in Greifswald, Germany. It once was actually the monastery Eldena.
Thank you for this great video. I've admired a number of Friedrich's paintings over the years without connecting that they were by the same master.
One of my favorite painters. Thank you covering his work with such a sense of grace.
this is not an analyses or a breakdown, this is a freakinf piece of art, pls never stop making these nerdwriter1
I keep coming back to this video since I first saw it because it's so beautifully explained. It teleports you to a different imaginary yet believable world, FC David's world and Nerdwriter perfectly carries out his role as a guide. Thanks Nerdwriter for this beautiful video!
As a German studies major I suggest diving into 'the uncanny', also a very prevalent idea stemming from German Romanticism and popularized by Sigumund Freud, as it has informed so much of Lovecraftian horror and acts like the other side of the coin to the sublime. It has a huge role in understanding the eerieness of films like THE SHINING or Japanese Kwaidan.
Wonderful essay! My favorite painting ever is “The Abbey in the Oakwood,” I think it draws a fine line between a somewhat unsettling yet somber atmosphere
For years, we had a reproduction of Friedrich's work "On a Sailing Ship" in our living room, a poster from a National Gallery of Canada exhibit. Thanks for this beautiful and accessible exploration of his work!
I will never forget seeing "Abby in the Oakwood" in real life. I came back to the museum to see it over and over again. What I love about good painters is that they share a feeling with you - a feeling beyond time. That's what CDF does (and some other artists as well such as Van Gogh for example). For a moment, you share the experience of being human with this person. That's what is so beautiful about CDF.
My favourite painter!! As my friend once said: «If Hegel, Leibniz, Kant or Schelling were artists, their work would necessarily look like the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich»
Thank you for this. The first time I saw “Winter Landscape with Church, 1811” in the National Gallery, I became overcome with emotion. Even now I’m not sure I could articulate what I experienced in that moment. Perhaps it was a brief communion with the sublime. Related, I have always loved “Cloister Cemetery in the Snow.” If Arvo Pärt’s Te Deum could be painted, it would be Cloister. I hold out hope that it isn’t lost forever.
4:43 this painting immediately made me think of the Land of the Lustrous anime and it’s Lunarians. His subsequent discussion of the definition of the Sublime including the idea of being in terror of something more vast than ourselves and being incapable or wrapping our minds around something, reminded me a lot of the mood and atmosphere that the show imparts and the lunarians themselves.
There is something almost slightly-Sci-Fi in his painting, it could be very well a painting of another planet
I get this feeling of being unwelcome since many of the Casper's work shows only ruins or man-made objects in disrepair. I think the sci-fi feeling might be because it's like humanity's presence is almost getting pushed out, as if we don't belong or that we are the aliens among nature.
it's almost apocalyptic
Check out Michael Whelan. He's an illustrator best known for his sci-fi book covers, and he was obviously influenced by Caspar.
or lets say theres something Carl David Friedrich in Sci-Fi
I've been a fan of Nerdwriter for many years, but just this last term I took a 4th year uni course called Visual Theory which covers a lot of what he speaks about in depth, and it was probably my favourite class I've ever taken. I have a newfound appreciation for these videos. In a sea of wikipedia researched video essays, Evan really makes profound content and its just incredible to me that this kind of essay is available for free for anyone interested. Thank you for the content!
ua-cam.com/video/_Q4Ra0UT-2U/v-deo.html
One of my favorite artists ever and also the only artist whose artbook I own even though I'm not at all a large fanatic of art.
Same but I need a art book , how can I get hold of that ?
@@mubasshiraal I got mine from a art show with his work in a museum in Berlin. I'd suggest looking for a display of his art in your nearest museum and visiting it when it happens!
@@naivety Thanks bro but I live in a third world country. There's no museum like that near me and I'm pretty damn sure directors of them also never heard about Casper David
Thankyou for this presentation of the subject. I've always been intrigued by 'Wanderer'. Learning more about it and the artist was much appreciated.
Maybe it's because I've always lived in the subtropics and have had a surfeit of garish, even lurid colour, and the aggressive sun, but something about these gelid landscapes beckons me with such a restful welcome, like the filling of a loss. Although it would without question have its own harshness and ferocity.
I genuinely appreciated the video and the research and time you put into it. Not least because it also introduced me to three new tracks to add to my library. Beautiful backtrack selection. In all, it was, well, sublime. Thankyou.
As someone from the city where Friedrich was born and where he spent a lot of time I appreciate how important an artist he is considered internationally. Thank you for this small essay :)
I am in love with your ability to convey the message of art in every form so well... I think it's rare that especially youtubers use filmmaking so effectively as a fo of expression. I really felt like I was there with the snow and wind effects, especially in the end 😊
Dude, you just speak to my soul and I'm crying of joyment. This day was the first snowfall in virginia and also my first snowfall of my life, i was having those thoughts because I'm from Perú, i just moved cuz of work and it was so mesmerazing. Nature it's incredible and i can't wrap my mind of everything it does, just like you said. Thank you for my making this a humbling experience
Thank you for introducing me to his work. I love getting lost in the enormity of nature, and his work feels like a way to do that from home.
The subject matter speaks of humbling experiences. Sometimes we all need a humbling experience so as not to take for granted the blissfulness of every given moment. For each one is gift, and this one is my favorite. The next one will be my next favorite moment.
I think that might've been my favorite breakdowns you've done thus far. You described this artist and his works so sublimely if I might say so myself.
You’re a very talented person, Evan. Thank you for this.
I got to see Friedrich and a lot of other German Romantics at an exhibit in Berlin called "wanderlust". Been captivated ever since!
I was introduced to Casper in college and I’ve loved his work for 20 years. Really happy you circled around him and reflected upon his work in our times. Well done
Never have I heard someone describe the feeling of what it's like to be outside and witness the sublime so beautifully. I feel it too, sometimes even on just a simple walk. I try to share it doesn't always connect with everyone because it's a perspective, either you feel it or you dont. But when it can be shared with another it is a wonderful thing to behold and a memory you never forget together.
I lived in Dresden for a long time. You can visit Saxon Switzerland and walk the painters way. It's over 100km long and after that you definitely understand the true genius of these painters. It's a really breathtaking experience and takes you to beautiful places.
I liked the snow effects in this one !
Favorite essayist makes a video about my favorite painter :') a great start to the year, danke
I went on vacation in Iceland and honestly it felt like being in his universe.
I don’t think I’ve heard about Friedrich before this video, sadly; but his style reminds me a bit of the norwegian painter Theodor Kittelsen’s work, which I absolutely love. Great video, as always
After watching this, I saw more of Friedrich's work and he is now my favourite painter.
His paintings gradually stir feelings of inexorable and infinite sadness. Perhaps because it also rouses the sense of mortality and envy that the planet will be here long after I'm gone but is indifferent to its longevity.
What a great, thought-provoking video! Thanks for telling us about this painter and his very special art.
This video reminded me about my trip to canada, and the vast landscape
it is beautiful, but also truly scary
sublime !
That opening shot of the snow :') same one used in the Holocene - bon Iver video essay that introduced me to this channel all those years ago and had me instantly fall in love
As an art teacher student I just wanted to say that your videos are amazing at explaining the subject matters. Just wow!
Could honestly make an entire video essay about every single one of Freidrick's paintings
Thanks for this video - I know it’s a popular image but ‘Wanderer Above the Mists’ is why I love art works and Nature scenes. Now I wonder about René Magritte’s Apple man figure and Casper David Freiderich’s depiction of people from behind (both are figures with obscured identities)
coming back here for the second time this week because I keep thinking of this video. everything is so beautifully shown and explained. I really feel the urge to read more about the sublime. and now Fridrich, alongside with Sargent and Monet, is one of my favorite painters! thank you for posting this!
Whenever I recognize or love the subject of a Nerdwritter video before seeing it, it fills me with so much joy
That final painting, of the woman contemplating the darkening skies, is my favorite Friedrich painting.
Back in the 90s before the internet really found its' footing, for years I looked for any book of Friedrich's paintings, and could not find it in any store. Until a visit to Munich. Going to a bookstore there specifically to check out the art books... is that unusual for a tourist to do?... I finally found it! The last copy they had, even. So I left the store a happy man, bag in hand with two books: the Friedrich book and one on early works by Joseph Beuys, mostly watercolors and gouache.
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Neuroscience of aesthetics!
Caspar David-Friedrich has been one of my favourite artists for quite a while! Glad to see he’s getting the attention he deserves, sublime video! ;)
I'm pretty sure his mountainous paintings were also inspired by the Elbsandsteingebirge, since it is much easier to reach from Dresden than the Harz is and the paintings remind me more of it.
One of my favorite painters and my favorite Era of art. The ability to sweep a viewer of the art into a feeling is indescribable
woww, excellent!!! Thank you and I hope you'll continue creating essays about paintings because they are very educational
By the end of this video, I recognized a similar experience. I felt like I was playing Skyrim again. It’s fun to think of developers at Bethesda being inspired by similar paintings to make some of my favorite worlds.
What a beautifula paintings and music! Thanks!
It's always a delight to see a nerdwriter video come out. These videos never disappoint. Thank you.
Caspar David Friedrich's landscapes were the only ones to ever move me, truly amazing!
The after effects of snow falling throughout was tastefully done!
As usual, brilliant work, and, as usual, I have another artist to research further, take notes from, and adore.
Never stop, Nerdwriter.
Friedrich's works give me literal heartache.
You have revived the most relevant depiction and discussion of Sublime in online painting discussions AND provided gems of insight into one of my heroes. Many thanks.
I'm so glad I stumbled upon you! This video is so well-done. I cannot wait to show my kids as Friedrich is the artist we're studying this term. Thank you so much!!
Universal! that is the language you speak. Please, do keep speaking. We all really need it!
I love watching every one of your videos, especially the ones with painting and art!
Ugh I LOVE this video and these paintings. Your videos about painters and art history are some of my very favorite videos of yours.
My favorite painter!
Thank you!
Woah! You just introduced me to an artist whose art I'm now absolutely dying to see more of. Beautiful art and excellent video as always :)
Excellent video. I discovered his work as a teenage beginner painter and am still in awe of his images and strive to create things in that spirit.
You are such a great speaker.
its incredible how the ending sentence to every video is sooo great
I think its fair to say each video Nerwriter releases is a metaphor for the sublime, or at least a very sublime way of video producing. Congratulations, cant wait to read your book!
Friedrichs pieces are just so calming and somehow peaceful. While there still are humans in there, they are 'put in their place' and are tiny compared to the nature. How it should be.
Thats why i liked his paintings the most since i first saw them in school. A truly great artist.
What a beautiful video! Friedrich is one of my favourite artists and this video made his art more amazing than before! The video gives such a unique experience that the video does not feel like 6 mins at all, it felt longer lol
What an excellent video! I am amazed by the way you describe art, it is absolutely fascinating