German romantic painter caspar david friedrich uses this ominous snow scene convey a message of the hope for salvation through the christian faith the original can be seen in the national gallery in london in the foreground a crippled man has abandoned his crutches and sits against a rock with his hands raised in prayer before a crucifix the rocks and evergreen trees may be interpreted as symbols of faith and the visionary gothic cathedral emerging from the mist evokes the promise of life af