Halbtakt 1925

Otto Mueller made this drawing, Halbtakt, with chalk and pastel. It’s all about the process, you can see every mark, every decision. The lines aren’t fussy or precise, more like whispers on paper. Look at how the ochre pastel is laid down, so lightly you can almost see the paper underneath, giving a sense of warmth without weight. The whole thing feels immediate, like a fleeting impression, a sketch of a moment rather than a finished thing. See the charcoal strokes defining the sitter’s features? Quick, confident, and somehow vulnerable. Mueller reminds me of Paula Modersohn-Becker, another artist who wasn’t afraid to leave the rough edges showing. They both embraced the incomplete, hinting at the fluidity of art making itself. What does this drawing mean? Who knows. But I like that it leaves me wondering.