Max Pechstein, Woman at the Window (Monte Rosso), 1924 by Atelier Liesjes

Expressionist interior portrait in coloured chalk drawing (farbige Kreide): a woman (possibly a fisherman's wife or local resident) leans on the windowsill of an open window, wearing a red headscarf or bonnet and a blue shirt/dress. She is looking down or lost in thought, her arms resting on the edge. Outside, laundry (blue and white cloths) hangs on a line, with a dark window frame and brick wall in the background. The composition is a close-up, with strong contours in black chalk, warm yellow/orange skin tones and contrasting dark shadows; signed "H. M. Pechstein 1924".
Meaning This work was created during Pechstein's stay in Monterosso al Mare (Cinque Terre, Italy) in 1924, where he observed and recorded Mediterranean fishing life. The woman at the window symbolises everyday intimacy, contemplation and simple life in a coastal village – a theme of tranquillity and connection with the environment after the chaos of World War I. The window as a frame emphasises observation and separation between inside and outside, with a melancholic, folk tone. It fits into his series of Italian motifs from that period, with influences of primitivism and direct human expression.
Technique Coloured chalk drawing (farbige Kreide) on paper: expressive, loose strokes with black contours for structure, combined with transparent areas of colour (blue, yellow, red) for warmth and contrast. The style is sketchy and dynamic, with a rough texture and a focus on emotion over detail – typical of Pechstein's graphic and drawing phase in the 1920s, inspired by direct observation and expressionist simplicity.

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.