Max Pechstein, Fisherman, 1919 by Atelier Liesjes

An expressive, sketchy drawing in pastel or chalk on beige paper: two fishermen stand with their backs to the viewer on a boat or at the water's edge, looking at a large, bright sun (or moon) with an orange-yellow halo and swirling rays filling the sky. The figures are angular and simplified, with broad backs in dark clothing (shades of blue and brown), bent poses and a small boat in the foreground. The sea is blue with wavy lines, the background warm orange-yellow against brownish contours; signed "HMP 1919". The composition is intimate and dramatic, with a focus on silhouettes and cosmic light.
Meaning This work from 1919, shortly after the First World War (Pechstein's fourth stay in Nidden), shows fishermen in contemplation or labour at sunset/sunrise. The enormous sun symbolises hope, vitality and spiritual enlightenment amid chaos – a typical expressionist motif of return to nature and primal power after war. Their backs to the viewer emphasise loneliness, introspection and connection with the elemental (sea, sun). It fits in with Pechstein's Ostsee themes of fishermen's life as a symbol of simplicity, struggle and harmony. Technique
Pastel or coloured chalk (crayon) on paper: loose, expressive strokes with swirling patterns for movement in the sky and waves, combined with dark contours and warm accents (yellow-orange sun). The texture is rough and atmospheric, with a limited colour palette for dramatic contrast – typical of Pechstein's graphic and sketch-like works from 1919, inspired by direct observation and expressionist emotion.

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.