Desolation and Mystery
"Imagine you are transported into the painting itself." |
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Once we realize the symbolic meaning of the background and foreground we can understand better why the cross is placed where it is. Looking closely, we see that the cross is actually placed between the break in the tree line surrounding the cathedral. As we have discussed in the preceding paragraph, the trees act as boundaries between the earthly realm and paradise; hence, by placing the cross in the break of the tree line, Friedrich is actually showing that heaven and the pleasures of paradise are only accessible to those of the earthly realm through Christ and his teachings. Imagine you are transported into the painting itself. Say, you wish to go from the foreground to the cathedral: since the cathedral is surrounded by trees on all sides, the only way to it is through the break in the trees. Since the cross is located there as well, anyone who wishes to go from the foreground (representing the earthly realm) to the background (representing heaven) will need to go past the cross. Going past the cross can be seen as embracing Christianity and accepting the teachings of Christ. The rock pool at the bottom of the cross is another very important element in the painting in this respect. All life needs water, and by painting a rock pool with water flowing from the cross to the harsh landscape of the foreground, Friedrich is reemphasizing the message that Christ brings life into the bleak and desolate earthly realm.
The Cross and Cathedral in the Mountains is, no doubt, a work of art inspired by religious faith. The message of salvation from Christ comes to us through an analysis of the complex spatial arrangement and representation of the different elements of the painting. Thus, the key in reading this message lies not in knowing what the cathedral or some other detail means or represents; rather, the key lies in understanding and appreciating the relative arrangement of these different elements in the painting. Only when we understand this can we truly unravel the message on the canvas.
Work CitedFriedrich, Caspar David. Kreuz und Kathedrale im Gebirge. 1812. Kunstmuseum, Düsseldorf.
About the writer: Lin Qinghui is a Bioengineering major, who joined the USP in 2002. He wrote this paper for Johan Geertsema's Reading Landscapes.
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