Bathing Girls in the Forest Pond 1919

Otto Mueller, a member of the German Expressionist group Die Brücke, created this painting, Bathing Girls in the Forest Pond, with distemper on canvas. Mueller, alongside other Expressionist artists, turned to the natural world, seeking an alternative to the rapidly industrializing and urbanizing world, and to explore themes of sexuality, identity, and freedom. In this piece, the women are painted without distinct features. It’s as if they become part of the forest itself, melting into nature. What does it mean to turn your back to society? To give yourself over to the cool, blue waters of a forest pond, to stand naked with another woman in nature, away from the judging eyes of a patriarchal society? With its simplified forms and flattened perspective, the painting invites us to think about authenticity, about returning to nature, and about the beauty and complexities of female relationships.