1824 (ca.), Caspar David Friedrich, Woman before the Rising or Setting Sun -- Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) (special exhibition)
From the museum label: Palms open, arms outstretched, this figure takes in the light, her spiked hair ornament mirroring the sun's rays. Scholars disagree about the meaning of the scene. For some, the woman salutes the sunset, a metaphor for death and anticipation of the next life. To others, she greets the sunrise, signifying vitality and renewal. The small size of the canvas and the fact that it remained with the extended Friedrich family until the 1930s suggests that the imagery had personal significance. It may be connected to the births of the Friedrichs' three children between 1819 and 1824 or to the stillbirth of another child in 1821.
1824 (ca.), Caspar David Friedrich, Woman before the Rising or Setting Sun -- Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) (special exhibition)
From the museum label: Palms open, arms outstretched, this figure takes in the light, her spiked hair ornament mirroring the sun's rays. Scholars disagree about the meaning of the scene. For some, the woman salutes the sunset, a metaphor for death and anticipation of the next life. To others, she greets the sunrise, signifying vitality and renewal. The small size of the canvas and the fact that it remained with the extended Friedrich family until the 1930s suggests that the imagery had personal significance. It may be connected to the births of the Friedrichs' three children between 1819 and 1824 or to the stillbirth of another child in 1821.