Sunlight 1921

Max Pechstein made this painting, Sunlight, using oil paints, a traditional medium that allowed him to capture a fleeting moment. Pechstein has rendered the scene in a way that is highly keyed-up. You see that in the brushstrokes themselves, which are broad, and the way the colors, though representational, are also pushed to the limit. The paint application is expressive, even exuberant. This almost visceral approach conveys a certain freedom, consistent with the artist's involvement with the Die Brücke group of expressionist artists in Germany, who sought to overturn academic conventions in favor of raw emotional impact. It is worth noting that oil paints became widely available during the industrial revolution. The shift from artists grinding their own pigments to commercially produced paints democratized the medium, allowing more artists to engage with painting. By exploring the materials, making, and context of this artwork, we can better understand its full meaning, and challenge traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.