In 1949, art historian Kenneth Clark wrote that Friedrich "worked in the frigid technique of his time, which could hardly inspire a school of modern painting", and suggested that the artist was trying to express in painting what is best left to poetry.
I 1949 skrev kunsthistorikeren Kenneth Clark, at Friedrich "arbejdede i sin tids frigide teknik, som dårligt kunne inspirere en skole i moderne maleri", og foreslog, at kunstneren forsøgte at udtrykke i maleri, hvad der bedst overlades til poesi.