Stehender Knabe und zwei Mädchen I c. 1914

Otto Mueller made this print, 'Stehender Knabe und zwei Mädchen I', with lithography. I’m really drawn to how Mueller captured a moment that feels both serene and slightly unsettling. The black ink strokes define the figures, and the background with a raw immediacy, like he’s carving out shapes and forms from a block. The contrast between the stark white of the paper and the dense black lines creates a dramatic effect, almost as if the scene is emerging from the shadows. I can imagine Mueller working on this, maybe scratching away at the surface, figuring out how to distill these figures into something essential. I especially like the way he captures the boy’s gesture – a raised arm that could be playful, or maybe a bit defensive? It's this kind of ambiguity that makes me keep looking. It reminds me of other German Expressionist artists who were grappling with similar themes of alienation and the human condition. But Mueller brings his own sensitivity to it, and makes this an artwork of tenderness and tension.