Rückenfigur

Figure seen from behind in art

The Rückenfigur is a compositional device in painting, graphic art, photography, and film. A person is seen from behind in the foreground of the image, contemplating the view before them, and is a means by which the viewer can identify with the image's figure and then recreate the space to be conveyed. It is commonly associated with German Romantic painting and particularly the landscape painter Caspar David Friedrich. In art historical research, it is debated whether the Rückenfigur actually invites identification or rather encourages second-order observation.

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