Neger Und Tänzerin 1903

Otto Mueller painted ‘Neger Und Tänzerin’ with distemper on canvas; we’re unsure of the exact date, but it was sometime in the first three decades of the 20th century. The artwork embodies the complex relationship between German Expressionism and colonialism. We see a nude black man, identified by the title as ‘Neger,’ and a lightly-dressed white woman. The figures are intertwined in what could be a dance, or an embrace. It’s important to recognize that this image comes from a specific socio-political context. Germany, like other European nations, had colonies in Africa, and there was a fascination with exoticism in the arts. Mueller was associated with the ‘Die Brücke’ group, whose members were interested in non-European art. But they were often uncritical of the power dynamics inherent in these colonial relationships. To get a deeper understanding of this work, we must examine the imagery of race and gender in Germany at the time. Researching the colonial policies and cultural attitudes can help us better understand the social forces that shaped this artwork.