Max Pechstein, Broken Tree in a Village Landscape in Pomerania, 1927 by Atelier Liesjes

An expressive watercolour with pencil underdrawing: in the centre, a large, bent or fallen tree with gnarled, broken branches in shades of brown and purple, lying dramatically across the lawn. The tree dominates the foreground as a rough, organic element. In the background is an idyllic Pomeranian village with thatched or straw-covered houses (yellow, red, white), chimneys, green hills and trees. The sky is cloudy in brown-beige with wavy lines, the colours warm and harmonious (green, brown, ochre, blue accents); signed lower left "H. Pechstein 1927".
Meaning This work was created in the summer of 1927 during Pechstein's stay in the fishing village of Rowe on the Baltic coast in Pomerania (now Poland). The bent tree symbolises transience, the power of nature and perhaps a metaphor for personal or social ruptures after the First World War. The village in the background celebrates simplicity, harmony and authentic rural life – a refuge for Pechstein in his search for peace and primitive vitality. It contrasts the rough tree with the peaceful settlement, with a melancholic but hopeful tone in his late 1920s style. Technique Watercolour over pencil on sturdy paper: transparent washes for sky and grass, combined with strong contour lines and warm earth tones for the tree and houses. Loose, expressive brushstrokes and subtle overlaps give depth and texture; typical of Pechstein's watercolours from this period – fluid but with strong forms, inspired by direct observation on the coast, with a decorative and emotional effect.

Hermann Max Pechstein (Zwickau, 31 December 1881 – Berlin, 29 June 1955) was a painter from Germany. Pechstein is considered an important representative of Expressionism. In 1918, after the First World War, Pechstein co-founded the Arbeitsrat für Kunst (Workers' Council for Art) and in 1922 he became a member of the Prussian Academy of Arts.