Mist In Art

[poliphilo]

Who was the first artist to paint mist and fog? Caspar David Friedrich? Turner? Someone less well known of the same generation? I can't think of earlier examples. Friedrich loved it because it was moody, Turner loved it because it diffused the light. Before the romantics came along landscape painting was mostly about topography- and mist was simply this annoying thing that got in the way.

Once the barrier had been broken artists couldn't get enough of it. The impressionists were crazy for it. Writers too began to exploit it symbolically and atmospherically-  and realised it was good for having characters suddenly loom out of. You don't get mist in 18th century novels but Victorian ones are full of it...

Comments

[angiereedgarner.livejournal.com]

I peeked at Greek vase paintings and there are images of Nyx (night) and Hemera (day). Nyx scattered mist which turned day to night, and Hemera gathered the mist back up turning night to day. Sample here. http://www.theoi.com/Protogenos/Hemera.html

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

"She was largely irrelevant in mythology"- How withering.

It's a marvellous image. Thank you.

[angiereedgarner.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the incentive to geek. :)

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

You don't get mist in 18th century novels...

That's interesting. What about the early Gothick novels, are they also mist-free?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Good question.

They tend to be set in Italy and other exotic places- so quite probably not. But I have to admit I haven't read very deeply :(