Artwork
Irene Altman
Irene Altman is an ink print by Otto Mueller. It dates from 1922 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
This lithograph shows Irene Altman sitting sideways with her hands folded.
This lithograph shows Irene Altman sitting sideways with her hands folded. She wears a simple dress and stares ahead in a plain room. The artist used black ink on paper to make the image.
Otto Mueller made this print in 1921 or 1922. He wasn’t part of a big art group but worked alone. The lines are soft and the shapes feel gentle. You can almost sense quiet in her pose.
Check out another lithograph by Mueller, Otto.
Overview
Otto Mueller’s lithograph titled *Irene Altman* was produced in the early 1920s, most likely in 1921 or 1922. Executed in black ink on paper, the image presents a seated figure in a modest interior, rendered with the restrained, direct approach typical of Mueller’s printmaking.
Subject & Meaning
The work portrays Irene Altman seated sideways, her hands folded, gazing forward. The simplicity of her dress and the unadorned surroundings emphasize an unidealized, contemplative presence, inviting a quiet, introspective reading of the figure’s demeanor.
Technique & Style
Mueller employed the lithographic process, using soft, flowing lines that give the forms a gentle, almost muted quality. The monochrome palette and careful handling of ink create subtle tonal variations, reinforcing the work’s calm atmosphere.
History & Provenance
Created during a period when Mueller worked independently of formal groups, the print reflects his personal graphic language rather than a collective style. Its exact exhibition history is undocumented, but it remains a representative example of his early‑twentieth‑century print output.
Context
Although associated with the Die Brücke expressionists, Mueller’s approach here diverges from the movement’s more overtly dramatic gestures, favoring a restrained realism that aligns with his broader interest in everyday subjects rendered with quiet dignity.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Otto Mueller (16 October 1874 – 24 September 1930) was a German painter and printmaker of the Die Brücke expressionist movement.
