Die Lebensstufen Art Print | Caspar David Friedrich

Caspar David Friedrich was born in Greifswald, Swedish Pomerania, as the sixth of ten children. Raised under a strict Lutheran household by his father, a candle-maker, Friedrich experienced early tragedies—his mother died when he was seven, and his brother drowned in front of him at age thirteen, possibly while trying to save him. Several siblings also died young, events often linked to the somber tone of his later work, though he was also naturally introspective. Despite his withdrawn appearance, those close to him described him as witty and warm in trusted company.

Friedrich began his artistic education in 1790 under Johann Quistorp in Greifswald, later studying at the Academy in Copenhagen, where he was influenced by Romanticism, Nordic myths, and 17th-century Dutch landscape painting. His training emphasized mood and symbolism over classical precision. In 1798, he moved to Dresden, where he developed his signature style—naturalistic, atmospheric landscapes based on sketches from travels across northern Germany. Though his early works were in ink and watercolor, he turned to oil painting in his thirties. His mature paintings focused on light, mist, and the quiet power of nature, often drawn from memory rather than direct observation.