Stehender Weiblicher Akt Zwischen Bäumen 1925

Otto Mueller made this drawing, ‘Stehender Weiblicher Akt Zwischen Bäumen’ or ‘Standing Female Nude Among Trees’ using what looks like pastel or chalk. The marks feel provisional, like an idea caught in the moment of forming. There’s a real sense of surface here: you can see the tooth of the paper, the way the chalky pigment sits on top, not quite blending. Look at the trunk of the tree on the right, notice how the marks build up, almost like layers of sediment. It’s a drawing that's built-up but also remains open, undefined. The figure is bathed in a pale yellow light, but her form is simplified, barely there. The pose with her hand raised feels classically inspired, while also maintaining a sense of immediacy. This work reminds me of Paula Modersohn-Becker, who was exploring similar themes around the same time. Both artists were interested in representing the figure in nature, but with a modern sensibility that emphasized flatness, and directness. Art is like a conversation; an artist makes a statement, another responds, and the dialogue continues across time.