Five Girls at a Forest Pond (Funf Madchen am Waldteich)

Otto Mueller made this print called 'Five Girls at a Forest Pond', using lithography. Isn’t it interesting how such simple marks can create a whole world? The stark contrast between the black ink and the paper gives it a real graphic punch. The way he’s built up the image, you can practically feel the mark making as a process. Look at the mountain range in the background, made with these chunky, energetic strokes. It's so bold, almost abstract! Then your eye travels down to the girls, these slender figures wading into the water. The texture of the water is really interesting, it’s like he is using parallel lines to create depth and movement. There's such a sense of spontaneity and freedom here; it feels like Mueller is inviting us to jump right into the pond with them. It reminds me a bit of Emil Nolde's woodcuts, in the way he uses expressive mark-making to create a kind of raw emotion. It’s cool, right? How artists can use such different approaches to explore similar themes.