Three Nudes in a Forest

Painted in 1910, Three Nudes in a Forest, is a work from Max Weber's crucial transitive period from 1909 to 1912, which "marked the end of his apprenticeship and his embarkation on the mature phase of his career." (P. North, Max Weber: The Cubist Decade 1910-1920, Atlanta, Georgia, 1991, p. 26) The present work exhibits the continuing influence of primitive art on Weber's work as the women's facial features recall those in Meso-American and African masks and sculpture. As his style evolved the manifestation of this influence in his art changed from an interest in the power of the simplicity to "a research in construction and geometric consistency." (H. Cahill, Max Weber, New York, 1930, p. 42) The continued influence of the powerful angular elements and monumental stature of primitive art can be seen in Weber's Cubist work through the late 1910s. Works such as Three Nudes in a Forest contain the seed of Weber's Cubist exploration, which he would continue to develop and, which lead to the most prolific and successful decade of his career. The present work represents an integral stage in Weber's transition from his student years in Europe to the development of his mature style.