Caspar David Friedrich is known for his deeply psychological landscapes, which drive the viewer into the wilderness of nature. Its subtle palette of colors and emphasis on light provide the audience with a ubiquitous sense of emptiness. The minimalism and the simplicity of the composition convey the significant ideas of the artist.

The painting "The Stages of Life", also known as "The Life Stages", was created around 1835. Although the artist avoided presenting real places and people, researchers assume that the painting shows his family. In the foreground to the left is an elderly man in fur. That should be Caspar David Friedrich himself. Sitting on the floor, his son Gustav Adolf can be seen, as well as his daughter Agnes Adelheid. She has a Swedish flag in her hand. Her life is just beginning. They begin to explore the endless ocean of life. Next to the children on the left is an energetic, young man with a cylinder. Here are the interpretations. A game assumes that it is the artist himself - but in his youth. The other party claims that it is his nephew. The young man looks at the things lying on the shore. They are in a used condition. The old man is the only one who notices the ships. He looks into the distance and his attitude is relaxed. He is ready to make his last journey.

In the foreground you can see the coast with its scattered objects - an inverted boat and a rudder. On the water above, five sailboats of different size and location float. The two boats on the horizon represent the mortality. The large sailboat in the middle represents the artist, the smaller ships beside it the hope. They illustrate the children and his wife.

Caspar David Friedrich's goal was to make people think carefully about how the depicted ships and figures are interconnected. The artist imagines life as a journey. The five ships merge with the five humans. Both show the developmental stages of human life.

---

The Stages of Life by Caspar David Friedrich. Available as an art print on canvas, photo paper, watercolor board, uncoated paper or Japanese paper.
top hat · sunset · silhouette · beach scene · family · ship · shore · coast · sailing · sails · DGT · Museum der Bildenden Kunste, Leipzig, Germany / Bridgeman Images