Max Pechstein, Fire Lilies, 1923 by Atelier Liesjes

An intense, colourful floral still life featuring a group of bright orange lilies (probably Lilium bulbiferum or fire lilies) in full bloom, with green stems, buds and leaves. The flowers are clustered closely together against a dark, almost black background with green and blue tones, suggesting a hilly landscape or twilight horizon. The sky above is dark with pink-purple streaks of cloud for a dramatic, evening-like effect. The composition is dense and expressive, with the red-orange flowers providing a fiery point of contrast; signed 'H. Pechstein 1923'.
Significance This work from 1923 (not 1928, as sometimes incorrectly dated) shows Pechstein's later, more contemplative phase after Die Brücke and the First World War. The fire lilies symbolise vitality, passion and life force amid darkness – possibly a metaphor for hope and recovery in the Weimar period. The intense colours and contrasts reflect his continuing expressionist interest in emotion and nature, but with a calmer, more harmonious tone than his early raw works. It fits in with his fascination with flora and landscapes during stays on the Baltic Sea or in Pomerania.
Technique Oil on canvas: thick, impasto-like brushstrokes for texture and relief in the flowers and leaves, with bright, non-naturalistic colours (orange-red dominant against dark green/black). Flat surfaces combine with dynamic touches for depth and movement; typical of Pechstein's post-expressionist style, with influences from Fauvism in the colour intensity and a focus on emotional expression over realism.

Hermann Max Pechstein (Zwickau, 31 December 1881 – Berlin, 29 June 1955) was a painter from Germany. Pechstein is considered an important representative of Expressionism. In 1918, after the First World War, Pechstein co-founded the Arbeitsrat für Kunst (Workers' Council for Art) and in 1922 he became a member of the Prussian Academy of Arts.