In his autobiography, he reflected on the intensive creative phase of his artistic existence as follows: “In this way, my lake images are elementary and creative. Here I could feel the struggle of the elements, the omnipotence in the vastness of the sea …. Here now I observe the mood, the swell, the speed, the tone of the water and the effect of air on the waves … and then, after I had absorbed the whole thing, I began to develop the picture with terrible vehemence ( Karl Hagemeister, Small autobiography, Werder 1928). ”