Sunlight
Max Pechstein
MAX PECHSTEIN, 1921. OIL ON CANVAS.
The ‘Die Brücke’ artists prided themselves on their crudeness. Like their French counterparts the Fauves, they rejected both total abstraction and realist depiction, disliking Impressionism’s focus on aesthetic beauty and the neutered, domestic subjects of Pointillism. They were the proton-expressionists, informed by primitive art and the raw expression of emotion, in subject matter explicit and erotic charged. Their very name ‘Die Brücke’ translates to ‘The Bridge’, a self fulfilling prophecy that ensured both their importance and brief life. It was in the early days of this creatively enthused rebellion that a young Max Pechstein joined the group, and became the only artist with formal training to do so. This led, unsurprisingly, to a fractious relationship and resentment between the members, especially as Pechstein gained more commercial success. He was expelled in 1912, and became a darling of the art world until he was vilified as a degenerate by the Nazi’s and his art removed from all institutions. His career revived after the war and Pechstein continued working to acclaim but through it all, his style always spoke to Die Brückes. A member for only 6 years in his more than 50 year career, but there was not a brushstroke painted that wasn’t informed by the wild philosophies of his youthful rebellion.