Catalogue raisonné: Pirsig-Marshall/von Lüttichau 2020 No. P1925/24 (340)

Provenance:

The artist’s estate

Galerie Nierendorf, Berlin (1960s/1970s)

Private collection, North Rhine-Westphalia

Private collection, North Rhine-Westphalia (by descent)

Otto Mueller – Zwei Mädchen im Wald

Zwei Mädchen im Wald (Two Girls in the Forest), executed circa 1925, exemplifies the artistic vision of Otto Mueller and represents a compelling manifestation of his characteristic nude compositions within German Expressionism. The work depicts two nude women in a forest setting – one seated, the other leaning against a tree trunk.

The motif of female nudes in nature is central to Mueller’s oeuvre. Closely associated with the Expressionist group Die Brücke, he developed a distinctive and reduced formal language in which human figures and landscape form an inseparable unity.

Form and Composition

Fully immersed in his own pictorial vocabulary, Mueller renders the figures with a marked, slightly angular structure. At the same time, their contours appear soft and fluid. Despite the clarity of line, the two women do not appear isolated; rather, they harmoniously merge with the natural environment of the forest.

The simplicity of Mueller’s motif is deliberate. The composition avoids overt symbolism or complex metaphor, favouring instead an immediate and direct visual presence. This reduction enhances the quiet intensity of the scene and reinforces the natural integration of the figures within their surroundings.

Unity of Human Figure and Nature

The delicate handling of watercolour and coloured crayon on paper lends the work a refined and intimate atmosphere. Soft tonal transitions combined with defined contours create a balanced relationship between figure and landscape.

In Zwei Mädchen im Wald, Mueller’s characteristic ideal of a peaceful unity between human beings and nature becomes fully apparent. The work stands as a representative example of his contribution to German Expressionism and his enduring exploration of the nude within a natural setting.