Friedrich

Graves of Ancient Heroes by Caspar David Friedrich (1812)

49.3 cm x 69.8 cm (about 19 in × 27 in)

Romanticism

Caspar David Friedrich’s career spans the turn of the nineteenth century and is one of the most important Germanic artists of the modern era. He was a dedicated Romanticist, and in the first few decades of the new century used this style to express himself during the devastating Napoleonic Wars. Graves of Ancient Heroes is not his most famous work nor his best. It is one of my favorites of his, however. It is dripping with unabashed nationalism before a German nation even existed and loaded with hopeful symbolism. This is an unusual painting because it was very rare for Friedrich to not to show any sky. Instead, this work is dominated by a massive cliff and dark cave.

The ancient heroes of the title are those who defended Germanic lands throughout history starting with Arminius, whose tomb is the cave at the very center of the painting. Arminius led the army that destroyed three Roman legions in the Teutoburg Forest in AD 9. Bonaparte thought of France as the “New Rome” and styled himself as the last of the emperors. Friedrich saw the Napoleonic Wars as a continuation of that ancient struggle. Other tombs and monuments in the painting are of varying age to represent other heroes of different eras. The glowing white obelisk is the monument to the fallen Germans of Friedrich’s time. They are buried in the same graveyard as the great Arminius, on his right-hand side, a traditional place of honor. This fictional cemetery is hallowed ground. From Friedrich’s point-of-view, this modern German struggle is the same as Arminius’.

To the left of the obelisk is a broken pine tree that has recently re-sprouted. In much of Friedrich’s art, pine trees represent Germany. The fallen tree was thought to be dead, but there is still life in it. In front of the cave are two French chasseurs, elite soldiers. They appear in a few of Friedrich’s works of the era and represent the power of the French army. Here, they are tiny, dwarfed by the cliff and monuments. The army is nothing like it was a few years before when it dominated Europe. The lack of a sky in this work creates a sense of oppression. The cliff is massive and towers over the puny soldiers. They seem lost with no way out. No relief is in sight.

Friedrich’s politics were very anti-French and he did not pull punches here. This was painted in 1812. Napoleon was retreating. Soon he would abdicate and go into his first exile. This painting is Friedrich is gloating.

This work is cared for by the Hamburger Kunsthalle, Germany.