The article explores the emotional complexity of hiking to view picturesque landscapes, using the metaphor of Caspar David Friedrich's painting "Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog." While reaching the summit may promise breathtaking views and life-changing experiences, the author reveals feelings of melancholy that can overshadow these aspirations. The painting underscores a cultural introspection from the era of German Romanticism, illustrating the contrast between Enlightenment ideals and a deeper connection to nature and emotion, resonating with visitors and parodies alike in modern times.
The solitary Wanderer, in his head-to-toe crushed green velvet, has become a metaphor for Germany itself, and the object of countless paste-ups and parodies.
Yet now, looking out through thin mountain air, of course it's spectacular. Still, when we look out at the mountains, the sensation that washes over us is not exultation but melancholy.
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