Kornpuppen 1922

This is Max Pechstein's "Kornpuppen," or "Corn Poppies," an oil painting. We see a field with sheaves of wheat, bound together to dry after harvest. Pechstein’s choice of subject matter is telling. While his expressionist contemporaries were often focused on urban life, he here turns to the countryside, and an appreciation for the rhythms of agricultural labor. The stacks of wheat, painted with thick, visible brushstrokes, emphasize the sheer physicality of farming, the repetitive motions involved in bringing in the crop. The dark palette reinforces this sense of toil, contrasting with the bright colors often associated with leisure. The sheaves themselves, carefully arranged for drying, are a testament to traditional knowledge and skill. They speak to a way of life rooted in craft, in a direct relationship with the land. By depicting these forms, Pechstein elevates the everyday labor of rural communities, suggesting that their way of life is as worthy of artistic attention as any other subject. It demonstrates how attention to materials, making, and context is essential for understanding art.