Two Women Bathing
The human body is among the most coveted subjects of Expressionist artists in all its shapes and motions, and Max Pechstein was particularly drawn to it in its dancing mode. In “Zwei Badende Frauen” (“Two Women Bathing”), he captured the two women dancing in a particularly fascinating manner, naked and carefree in the open air amid the unspoiled nature of Moritzburg.
The liberation of the human body from conformity and constraints was one of the defining themes of early 20th-century art and culture. Expressionist artists sought to convey emotion on canvas, and dance, as a direct expression of emotion, offered a particularly effective medium for this purpose. Pechstein had already studied the light-footed dancers in Berlin's cabarets and transferred their rhythmic movements into the Moritzburg landscape. Freedom and nature are two concepts inseparable from one another. Hence, the “Brücke” artists were repeatedly drawn to working plein-air. In July 1910, Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, and Max Pechstein spent several weeks painting in Moritzburg: Currently, we, that is Heckel, Pechstein, and I, are back in Moritzburg. There is nothing more appealing than painting nudes outdoors.” (E. L. Kirchner, letter to Gustav Schiefler, July 19, 1910, quoted from Soika, vol. 1, pp. 15f.)
The work ‘Zwei Badende Frauen’ was also created in this context. Lost in the moment and their movements, the two bluish nudes dance in the atmospheric evening glow framed by green meadows. The soft and flowing movements starkly contrast the strong use of primary and secondary colors. With his masterfully reduced color palette, Pechstein evokes an atmosphere intensified by his bold outlines and loose brushwork.



Still life with gloxinia, fruit, and Lotte's portrait
But this beautiful work does not have only one side. On the reverse, there is another painting in its own right and, thus, another front side featuring motifs significant to Max Pechstein's artistic work. A still life of flowers and fruit can be found next to a stylized image of his beloved model and muse, Lotte.
The intense colors of the exotic gloxinia flowers and fruits, including an artfully draped cloth, are truly captivating to the viewer's eye. Pechstein's brushwork evokes a vibrant energy, with the apples and pears seeming to leap out of the painting. Echoes of the still life of Henri Matisse and Paul Cézanne are evident, yet Max Pechstein's still life has a playful character of its own.
What is particularly intriguing about this work is the fact that Pechstein didn't just leave it as a still life. As if through an opening curtain, a drawing by Lotte reveals herself, and in the upper center of the picture, a traditional Italian wine bottle, known as a “fiasco,” makes an appearance.
Charlotte Pechstein, née Kaprolat (1893–1965), makes an ethereal appearance in the upper right quarter of the picture. From 1909 to 1920, she was Max Pechstein's main model and was set to become his wife in 1911, shortly after her 18th birthday. She had already modeled for him in numerous works in 1910, possibly including one or both dancers. While Pechstein served in World War I from 1915 to 1917, Lotte was supported by his art dealer Wolfgang Gurlitt and lived in Berlin. After the artist returned from the war, he depicted her in numerous works again, and she became his most important motif. At the same time, he portrays her in a stylized manner, which, on the one hand, creates tension with the painterly still life and, on the other hand, can be understood as a reference to his remarkable graphic oeuvre. In this painting, Max Pechstein opens up a complex visual world with many references, some of them enigmatic, to his artistic work.



With its two front sides, the painting spans decisive stages in Max Pechstein's career and, with its diverse motifs, can be understood as a reference to his oeuvre in general. He was a member of the artists' association “Brücke,” became a co-founder of the “Neue Secession,” and went on several productive trips around Germany and abroad. Although the First World War was a formative experience, the following years were marked by financial success. Wolfgang Gurlitt became the artist's sole representative in 1913, and critical solo exhibitions took place between 1918 and 1920. During this phase, which encompassed the two sides of our work, Max Pechstein was one of the most popular contemporary artists. [AW]