Am Ufer Sitzendes Mädchen 1926

Otto Mueller made this evocative image of a seated woman on paper with watercolor and crayon. There's something so immediate and bold about the velvety black lines that define the figure and landscape; you can almost see Mueller bearing down on the paper, trying to catch something fleeting. I wonder, was he trying to capture a memory, a dream, or just the sheer pleasure of mark-making? Look at how the strokes of green create depth and shadow in the foliage around her. It’s like he’s built this intimate little world just for her, a quiet, personal space. I imagine Mueller, wrestling with the forms, coaxing them into being, and then letting them be, accepting their imperfections. It reminds me that painting is an act of trust, a conversation with the materials. Mueller’s work, like that of many artists, invites us to join in that conversation, to see not just what is depicted, but how it came to be.