Der Liebesbrief 

Adolf Hölzel’s painting, Der Liebesbrief, or ‘The Love Letter’, is likely made with oil paints on canvas, both materials that had become industrialized by the late 19th century, when this artist was active. But, although these are indeed ‘high art’ materials, Hölzel’s painting technique directs our attention away from the elite traditions of the academy. Rather, he focuses on the figure of an ordinary woman, and the textures of her clothing, suggesting a concern with working-class life. Consider how the artist has built up layers of paint to evoke the thick fabric of her dress and apron. Notice, too, the worn surface of the table at which she sits. These material descriptions are not merely descriptive. They also subtly imply the value and importance of labor. Hölzel seems to be encouraging us to consider the dignity of this woman’s life, not through idealization, but by attending to the everyday materials that surround her. In doing so, he blurs the line between fine art and the textures of everyday life.