Mutter Mit Tochter 1913

Cuno Amiet made this painting of a mother and daughter, using oil paint applied in thick, visible strokes. Amiet’s brushwork feels both controlled and spontaneous. The colors aren't blended smoothly; instead, he lets them sit side by side, creating a vibrating effect. Notice how he models the mother's face with strokes of green and yellow, and how the daughter's arm is rendered with a mix of peach and blue. The colors are vibrant, but also slightly unsettling, like a dream. The mother's hand resting on the daughter's shoulder is particularly striking. It's painted with such tenderness, but also with a kind of awkwardness. It's as if Amiet is trying to capture the complexity of the relationship between mother and daughter, the love and the tension. Amiet was part of a circle of Expressionist painters in Germany and Switzerland. You can see the influence of artists like Munch and Kirchner in his use of color and his interest in psychological themes. But Amiet has his own voice. He brings a sense of warmth and humanity to his paintings that is all his own.