Max Pechstein, Nude II (Seated woman in front of a mirror), 1920 by Atelier Liesjes

An introspective and expressive work in which Pechstein depicts a woman in a moment of self-reflection - an image of physicality, colour and psychological depth.

🎨 What you see
A half-naked woman sits in front of a mirror, with a cloth around her waist and her back reflected in the glass.

The figure has short brown hair and is rendered in a relaxed but concentrated pose.

The background consists of areas of colour in green, yellow, pink and blue, which give the scene an abstract, almost dreamlike feel.

The brushwork is powerful and fluid, with an emphasis on contour and colour contrasts.

🧩 Theme
Pechstein here explores the female body as a source of introspection and visual power.

The mirror acts as a symbol of self-image, duality and inner reflection.

The work exudes an atmosphere of intimacy and modernist freedom, in which the individual is central.

📍 Style and technique
Typical of Pechstein's post-expressionist phase: vibrant colours, simplified forms, and a decorative approach to space.

The brushwork is fluid and rhythmic, with an almost watercolourist touch.

The composition is vertical and centred, with the mirror as visual and symbolic centrepiece - an image of introspection and bodily presence.

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 World War I, Pechstein co-founded the Arbeitsrat für Kunst and in 1922 he joined the Prussian Academy of Art.