Three Stages of Life (1835)

by Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840)

Thank you for reading my Fine Art newsletter.

This newsletter is free, thanks to a small group of paying members. To help me keep writing these posts, please consider becoming a paying subscriber.

Thank you so much. It truly helps.

Julian

The Three stages of life, by Caspar David Friedrich

This painting by the German artist Caspar David Friedrich depicts the three stages of life. We see an old man, two young children, and their parents gathered together at the seaside.

It’s an allegorical representation of the passage of time. Three generations, from childhood to old age.

The painting evokes the ancient riddle of the phoenix: “What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?”

Can you guess the answer? Take a close look at the three characters in the paintings.

That’s right, it’s a human! We begin life on all fours, then we walk upright into adult life, and walk with a cane as we age.

The painting also reminds me of Alan Lee’s concept art for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the scene where Frodo joins Bilbo and the elves to leave Middle earth.

The image of a ship leaving shore is a common symbol representing the passage from one life into the next. In Caspar David’s painting we see five ships, representing each of the figures.

The message of the painting is that life passes us by all too quickly.

This means we must cherish every moment we have with our loved ones. The artist knew this all too well, as he completed the painting five years before his death. The old man is most likely a self-portrait. We can imagine that Caspar was contemplating his own mortality as he painted it, thinking about the passage of time, and the transience of life.

It’s a beautiful, melancholic, and deeply impactful painting. I hope you enjoy it.

Julian

Thank you for reading my newsletter! As a bonus for paying subscribers you can now access a weekly audio download where I discuss what I’m reading and answer reader questions.