Bildnis der Schauspielerin Anni Mewes
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Intro
Anni Mewes (1895–1980) was one of the most famous actresses in German in the 1920s. Her portrait by Edwin Scharff, produced in 1917, was already renowned amongst contemporaries. Like many Expressionist artists, Scharff attempted to capture the typical in the individual. He was not interested in the mere likeness of his portraits but in the balance between individual features and formal experiment.
His language of form emphasized bulges, broad curves, and sometimes hard cuts and lines. The characteristic aspects of the actresses face are emphasized in details such as the eyes, nose, and mouth, while other elements display the independence of the artistic form. For example Scharff merely implies the hair with a notch, and by rounding off the bottom of the slim neck the expressive face appears to float.
When viewed in profile another special feature becomes clear: Scharff merges the hair, head, and neck to create a form which flows towards the rear, lending this important portrait a certain grace and dynamism which bears witness to a Futurist influence.
Kunsthalle Mannheim