Max Pechstein, Keitelkähne (Kurenkähne im Hafen), 1909

by Atelier Liesjes

A dynamic, expressive ink drawing on beige paper: a group of traditional Baltic boats (Keitelkähne or Kurenkähne, flat fishing or recreational boats with tall masts and sails) lie close together in a harbour. The boats fill the composition with their masts, sails and hulls, drawn in quick, bold black lines with lots of cross-hatching for shadow and texture. In the background is a horizon with water and vague land, the foreground with details of ropes, decks and hulls. The style is sketchy and energetic, with a sense of movement and mass; signed ' "Pechstein 09" ' (or variant). Meaning This work from 1909 (early Brücke period) was created during Pechstein's first intensive period on the Baltic Sea, where he captured fishing and harbour life. The Keitelkähne (boats typical of the region around Nida or the Curonian Spit) symbolise the authentic, hard coastal life and the harmony between man and sea. It shows Pechstein's fascination with the everyday and primitive, with a raw, direct representation that reflects the Brücke ideals of vitality and escape from urban conventions. In 1909, he sought simplicity and expression in popular life. Technique Black ink (pen and brush) on paper: quick, flowing and cross-hatching lines of varying thickness for volume, shadow and rhythm. No colour, but strong graphic contrasts and texture through repeated strokes – typical of Pechstein's early graphic work in 1909, inspired by Brücke woodcuts but with a sketchy, spontaneous freedom.

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.