Fisherman in the twilight, 1883
A deep dark cloudy sky approaches the coast threateningly and bathes the landscape in a gloomy atmosphere. On the waterline, a narrow stripe cuts through the storm in contrast and highlights a sailing ship and the dune landscape still lit by the sun in the background. In the centre of the picture, a fisherman strides through the low water towards the beach. Although he is not easily recognisable against the dark waves, the painter subtly highlights him through his colourful clothing and the breaking of the lines of the horizon. The nothingness of man in relation to nature determines the mood of this work.
Paintings like this are particularly popular in large cities, where industrialisation has deeply affected the appearance of the landscape. Smoking chimneys and large industrial buildings loom large and dominate the view into the distance. Customers long for the untouched nature that can still be experienced on the coasts. At the same time, the fishermen, far away from industrial work, symbolise people‘s connection with nature. The 19th century was also an epoch of literature in which homeland and nature poetry flourished. Andreas Achenbach thus does not simply pick up on a movement within art, but reflects the zeitgeist of a society.