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Lot Essay
Toilette, painted by Max Pechstein in 1921, exemplifies the dynamic and expressive style that solidifies his reputation as a pivotal figure in the German Expressionist movement. This piece captures an intimate moment with bold lines and vibrant colours, reflecting the artist's profound ability to convey human emotion and everyday modern life through a modernist lens.
This painting depicts a young woman called Lisa, Pechstein’s wife’s sister, engaged in her toilette. Notably, it portrays an earlier stage of getting ready, with Lisa’s long, wavy brown-auburn locks in the process of being brushed by another woman, presumably Marta, the artist’s wife. The female sitter, Lisa, is seated at an octagonal-shaped dressing table with a pink cloth. Various objects and toiletries are scattered across the vanity table: a hairbrush, a small gold brush, a rectangular mirror, and a perfume bottle. Foliage is glimpsed through the window in the distance, piquing our curiosity for the surrounding garden and immersing us in the atmosphere of this exquisite piece. The sitter makes direct eye contact with the viewer and displays a stern facial expression which imbues a sense of ambiguity in the composition. The woman’s pose, with her head slightly bowed and her body turned inward, suggests a contemplative mood. Pechstein’s use of a vibrant colour palette of deep blues, warm oranges and earthy browns, as well as simplified but exaggerated forms, evoke the emotional intensity of the scene, while his use of complementary colours draws attention to the central figure, making her the focal point of the artwork. This emotional and psychological depth serves to express her inner feelings, emphasizing the subjective over the objective.
The act of getting ready and styling one’s hair at a vanity table is a trope in art and has evolved significantly over time, reflecting changes in social norms, cultural values and artistic trends. With the advent of Impressionism and subsequent movements, artists began to depict everyday modern life through a realist lens. The toilette scenes became less idealized and more reflective of contemporary realities, as seen in Degas’ Woman Combing Through Her Hair and Gauguin’s Three Tahitian Women (1896) which provide a more nuanced view of women at their toilette, focusing on the intimate and unglamorous aspect of the ritual. Subsequently, in the twentieth century, movements like Expressionism brought a psychological and emotional depth to the depiction of women at their toilette, and artists like Max Pechstein used this trope to explore themes of introspection, identity, and emotional complexity. Toilette delves into the psychological state of the subject, capturing a moment of solitude and introspection. Created in the context of post-World War I Germany, this work reflects the social and cultural upheaval of the time. The choice to depict a solitary woman at her toilette can be seen as a reflection of the changing roles of women in society amidst the aftermath of the war, as well as a social commentary on the personal and societal struggles of the time.
This painting, with its bold style and emotional resonance, is a testament to Pechstein’s contribution to modern art and his exploration of the complexities of human experience.
This painting depicts a young woman called Lisa, Pechstein’s wife’s sister, engaged in her toilette. Notably, it portrays an earlier stage of getting ready, with Lisa’s long, wavy brown-auburn locks in the process of being brushed by another woman, presumably Marta, the artist’s wife. The female sitter, Lisa, is seated at an octagonal-shaped dressing table with a pink cloth. Various objects and toiletries are scattered across the vanity table: a hairbrush, a small gold brush, a rectangular mirror, and a perfume bottle. Foliage is glimpsed through the window in the distance, piquing our curiosity for the surrounding garden and immersing us in the atmosphere of this exquisite piece. The sitter makes direct eye contact with the viewer and displays a stern facial expression which imbues a sense of ambiguity in the composition. The woman’s pose, with her head slightly bowed and her body turned inward, suggests a contemplative mood. Pechstein’s use of a vibrant colour palette of deep blues, warm oranges and earthy browns, as well as simplified but exaggerated forms, evoke the emotional intensity of the scene, while his use of complementary colours draws attention to the central figure, making her the focal point of the artwork. This emotional and psychological depth serves to express her inner feelings, emphasizing the subjective over the objective.
The act of getting ready and styling one’s hair at a vanity table is a trope in art and has evolved significantly over time, reflecting changes in social norms, cultural values and artistic trends. With the advent of Impressionism and subsequent movements, artists began to depict everyday modern life through a realist lens. The toilette scenes became less idealized and more reflective of contemporary realities, as seen in Degas’ Woman Combing Through Her Hair and Gauguin’s Three Tahitian Women (1896) which provide a more nuanced view of women at their toilette, focusing on the intimate and unglamorous aspect of the ritual. Subsequently, in the twentieth century, movements like Expressionism brought a psychological and emotional depth to the depiction of women at their toilette, and artists like Max Pechstein used this trope to explore themes of introspection, identity, and emotional complexity. Toilette delves into the psychological state of the subject, capturing a moment of solitude and introspection. Created in the context of post-World War I Germany, this work reflects the social and cultural upheaval of the time. The choice to depict a solitary woman at her toilette can be seen as a reflection of the changing roles of women in society amidst the aftermath of the war, as well as a social commentary on the personal and societal struggles of the time.
This painting, with its bold style and emotional resonance, is a testament to Pechstein’s contribution to modern art and his exploration of the complexities of human experience.