Artwork
Landscape with Tree and Water (Landschaft mitBaum und Wasser)
Landscape with Tree and Water (Landschaft mitBaum und Wasser) is an ink print by Otto Mueller. It dates from 1920 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Landscape with Tree and Water is a lithograph created by Otto Mueller around 1920, exemplifying the expressive qualities of the Die Brücke expressionist movement.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a serene natural scene featuring a pond with lily pads, a single overhanging tree branch, and a minimalist background suggested by wavy lines, conveying a sense of simplicity and intimacy with nature.
Technique & Style
Mueller employed lithographic techniques, rubbing ink onto a smooth stone, to achieve a distinctive grainy, uneven appearance with thick, rough lines, lending the work a deliberate, sketch-like quality.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1920 by Otto Mueller, a key figure in Die Brücke, this work reflects his application of expressionist principles to landscape subjects, alongside his notable contributions to printmaking and figural art.
Context
Within the early 20th-century German art scene, this piece aligns with the Die Brücke movement's emphasis on expressive, emotive representation of the natural world, differing from more polished or realistic landscape traditions.
Artist & collection
Artist
Otto Mueller (16 October 1874 – 24 September 1930) was a German painter and printmaker of the Die Brücke expressionist movement.
