Ein am Baum stehendes, ein sitzendes und zwei badende Mädchen III 1914 - 1918

Otto Mueller made this lithograph of bathers around a tree, using simple lines to create a sense of form and space, and when I look at it, I think, yeah, that’s how it feels to make a print – immediate. The velvety black ink and tan paper create a warm, earthy feel, like you could just reach out and touch the surface. I love how Mueller uses line to define the figures, especially the girl in the foreground. Notice the bold, confident strokes that describe her body, and how they contrast with the more delicate lines in the background. The marks around her feet suggest a natural setting, blending figure and ground. It reminds me a bit of Matisse, with the flattened forms and emphasis on line. But Mueller's got his own thing going on, this sort of raw, expressive energy. It's like he's saying, "Here's what I saw, here's how it felt," and that's what art's all about.