Aktkomposition (Zwei weibliche Akte, Bett)

We see two female bodies with tapering limbs. Their faces are angular, abstract. The sunlight casts shadows upon their nude bodies, enhancing the vertical lines of their slim limbs. 

The muted colors create a unity between bodies and landscape. The curved lines found in the girls’ posture and the tree in the center of the picture also make for a formal analogy between Man and Nature. Doesn’t this setting look like a peaceful, paradisiacal state of innocence? Or are there signs which destroy this impression?

The posture of the two women appears somewhat impersonal and lacks real intimacy, as if they were looking past each other. These details suggest Paradise is threatened, it appears to be a place of longing rather than a real location.

Otto Mueller belonged to the circle of Brücke artists in Dresden. He produced numerous nudes in outdoor settings, which were frequently interpreted as a critique of civilization and a call for a return to nature. The painting „Two Nude Females in Nature“ was created in 1920 following Müllers deployment in the First World War. Considering this background, the harmony represented here is infused with a sense of longing, the breaks therein leave a painful aftertaste.