Caspar David Friedrich

Post photo: Two men contemplating the moon | Caspar David Friedrich (1819/20)

The first time I heard about Caspar David Friedrich, as a our art teacher asked us to present a quote from Friedrich as a picture by next week.

Since I then received a grade that was quite acceptable for my circumstances, I was left with it Caspar David Friedrich in good memory. Much later I came across exactly this quote, which originally reads as follows:

“The spirit of nature reveals itself to everyone differently, which is why no one should impose their teachings and rules on others as an infallible law. No one is the standard for all, each only a standard for himself and for the more or less kindred spirits.”

Caspar David Friedrich, Caspar David Friedrich in Letters and Confessions (1984)

Caspar David Friedrich was a painter of the early romantic period and surely everyone has seen a painting by him.

And Friedrich also has a piece of well-intentioned advice for art teachers:

“Not everything can be taught, not everything can be learned and attained through mere dead practice; for what can actually be called a purely spiritual nature in art lies beyond the narrow limits of craftsmanship. Therefore, you teachers of art, who think so much with your knowledge and skills, be very careful not to tyrannically impose your teachings and rules on everyone; for in this way you can easily crush the delicate flowers, destroy the temple of peculiarity, without which man can do nothing great."

Caspar David Friedrich, Caspar David Friedrich in Letters and Confessions (1984)

By the way, Friedrich's picture "Two Men Contemplating the Moon", which is presented in this article, is supposed to Samuel Beckett during a trip through Germany in 1936 to "Waiting for Godot“ have inspired.

I'm happy to recommend Beckett too, mainly because he has good advice to offer as well. I am happy to quote the following:

"All of old. Nothing else ever. Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."

Samuel Beckett, Nohow On (1989: 77)

And since I'm at Samuel Beckett am, right here is another poem by him from 1934.

Gnome

Spend the years of learning squandering
Courage for the years of wandering
Through a world politically turning
From the loudness of learning

Samuel Beckett