Paar Mit Grünem Fächer 1913

Otto Mueller painted "Paar Mit Grünem Fächer," or "Couple with Green Fan," at some point before his death in 1930, using distemper on canvas. Its simple composition belies the social and cultural complexity of Germany in the Weimar Era. Mueller belonged to the artist group "Die Brücke," or "The Bridge," an expressionist collective who wanted their art to serve as a bridge between classical tradition and modern feeling. The couple depicted here suggests a modern sensibility. The woman’s bobbed hair, for instance, was a popular style of the time. The artist’s chosen medium, distemper, is itself revealing. While distemper had been used for centuries, by the early twentieth century it was considered obsolete by most professional artists. By using this medium, Mueller seems to be commenting on the relationship between the art world and the wider social and cultural world. Art historians consult exhibition reviews, artists’ letters, and other period documents to understand the changing status of both artist and medium. The meaning of art emerges in this complex cultural context.