The picture captivates the viewer with the immensity of the sea distance. The whole composition consists of multicolored horizontal bands: almost white coastal sand with a solitary figure of a monk, a black sea, a leaden-gray sky brightening in the sky. The main motif of the picture is the horizon line: clouds obscure it, however, the proximity of heavy waves and the mobile sky shows this line, and it takes the viewer’s eyes to the depths.
The juxtaposition of a small human figure and the lack of orientation of the panorama of the sea and sky creates an image of an infinite space. This picture was a success, it was acquired by the Prussian King Frederick William III, and the painter himself was elected an honorary member of the Berlin Academy.
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Abbey in the oak forest by Kaspar David Friedrich 
Owl on the grave by Kaspar David Friedrich 
Moine au bord de la mer – Caspar David Friedrich