Lagernde Zigeunerfamilie Mit Ziege 

Otto Mueller made this painting, ‘Resting Gypsy Family with Goat,’ sometime before his death in 1930, though we can't know precisely when. We see the characteristic simplification of form and muted palette he shared with other members of the German Expressionist group Die Brücke, or ‘The Bridge’. The image reflects a fascination among German artists of this period with Roma people. The interest was partly aesthetic, with artists responding to the perceived freedom and ‘naturalness’ of Roma life as an alternative to modern urban society. But it also reflects the darker side of early 20th-century European culture. As we know, Roma people became targets for racial discrimination and persecution. Mueller himself was not immune to the prevailing prejudices of his time, though he appears to have felt sympathy for the Roma. Art historians often grapple with the complexities of representing marginalized groups, and considering both positive and negative cultural forces at work.