Romanticism 

The rise of romanticism began around the 1790s. It valued the rise of the individual which correlated with alienation. 

In this painting, Wanderer Above the Sea Mist (1818), by Caspar David Friedrich, we are able to see many of the ideals of romanticism. We are able to see the alienation of the individual. The person in the picture while he is centralized in the painting is not necessarily the main focus of the painting. By painting him facing away from the observer the value is placed higher on what he is looking at. To further this we are able to see that the light is not focused on the man but on the nature. This is able to show the unknown of the future and the how romanticism valued the power and fury of nature. The tides are a uncontrollable force of nature that is able to cause destruction. Water is one of the most important things on the earth. It is able to devastate town and destroy lives, but despite that we are not able to survive without it. The painting is able to show the beauty and power of nature, and how we as humans are helpless and powerless in the face of nature. Additionally in the painting we are able to see the idea of the romantic hero. They rejected the established norms, were outsiders who went on their own individual path. Many times they were alienated and isolated from society. The man in the painting has clearly been alienated from society and has followed his own path. By gazing out on the powerful ocean he yearns for the unknown and the unknowable.