Who painted Five Girls at a Forest Pond (Funf Madchen am Waldteich)?

Five Girls at a Forest Pond (Funf Madchen am Waldteich) was painted by Otto Mueller in 1919.

Where can I see Five Girls at a Forest Pond (Funf Madchen am Waldteich)?

Five Girls at a Forest Pond (Funf Madchen am Waldteich) is held by National Gallery of Art.

Can I buy a print of Five Girls at a Forest Pond (Funf Madchen am Waldteich)?

Museum-quality prints of Five Girls at a Forest Pond (Funf Madchen am Waldteich) are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Five Girls at a Forest Pond (Funf Madchen am Waldteich)

Otto Mueller , 1919

Five Girls at a Forest Pond (Funf Madchen am Waldteich) is an ink print by Otto Mueller. It dates from 1919 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Five Girls at a Forest Pond (Funf Madchen am Waldteich) is a lithograph created by Otto Mueller around 1919, exemplifying the expressive and stylistic tendencies of the Die Brücke movement.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts five young women standing at the edge of a forest pond, surrounded by jagged trees and rocks. The scene conveys a sense of somberness and uniformity, with the figures rendered in a simplified, stick-like form, all of equal height, but with distinguishable facial and clothing details through block-like lineations.

Technique & Style

Mueller employed a characteristic scratchy, uneven lithographic style, evoking a drawn rather than painted aesthetic. The composition features muted earth tones, rhythmic forms, and predominantly angular, broken lines, contributing to the overall dark and uneven atmosphere.

History & Provenance

Created circa 1919, this lithograph reflects Mueller's dual practice in printmaking and painting, highlighting his role in early 20th-century German Expressionism, specifically within the Die Brücke group.

Context

The work's creation coincides with the post-World War I period, a time of significant artistic and social upheaval in Germany, influencing the somber and expressive qualities of the piece.

Legacy

Five Girls at a Forest Pond contributes to Mueller's legacy as a key figure in Die Brücke, illustrating the movement's emphasis on emotional intensity and simplification of form through printmaking techniques like lithography.