The Afternoon

The Afternoon, painted in 1821 and now in the Landesmuseum Hannover, belongs to Friedrich's series depicting the times of day as stages of human life. The afternoon represents maturity and the beginning of decline — the warm light that precedes evening's approach. Friedrich's temporal series reflects the Romantic understanding of nature's daily cycles as mirrors of human experience, each phase charged with distinct emotional significance. The Hannover museum's group of Friedrich time-of-day paintings provides an unusually complete documentation of this important thematic series.

The low afternoon sun casts long shadows across the terrain, creating strong contrasts between illuminated and shaded areas. The warm golden palette distinguishes this from the cooler morning and evening scenes in the cycle.