Arguably the greatest tragedy of his childhood happened in 1787 when his brother Johann Christoffer died: at the age of thirteen, Caspar David witnessed his younger brother fall through the ice of a frozen lake, and drown.
Den formentlig største tragedie i hans barndom indtraf i 1787, hvor hans bror Johann Christoffer døde som 13-årig; Caspar David så sin lillebror falde gennem isen på en sø og drukne.