Sitting and Kneeling Figures on the Bank of the Moritzburg Lakes 1912

Otto Mueller painted these Sitting and Kneeling Figures on the Bank of the Moritzburg Lakes using distemper on canvas. Mueller, a member of the German Expressionist group Die Brücke, often depicted nudes in nature, seeking a return to what he perceived as a more authentic, pre-industrial existence. In this work, two women are shown in a private, almost dreamlike setting. Their dark hair contrasts with their golden skin, set against the muted blues and greens of the landscape. Otto Mueller’s work romanticizes the figure in nature; these women are presented as part of the natural world. However, it’s important to consider how these representations might reflect the male gaze and the limited roles often assigned to women in art history. Mueller does, though, remove any elements of modern society and instead focuses on a natural state of being. This artwork allows us to consider the complex ways in which artists have sought to represent identity and experience through the figure, particularly in relation to nature.