Dimensions: 100 x 80.5 cm
Signing: signed l.g.: [illegible inscription] / Mela Muter / 1913
Provenance
Munich, private collection (since 1985) Cologne, Galerie Gmurzynska legacy of the artist
Exhibited
Cologne, Galerie Gmurzynska, Mela Muter 1876-1967: Retrospektiv-Ausstellung, 21.10 - 1 .12.1967. Paris, Galerie Jean-Claude Bellier, Mela Muter, 26.04 - 21.05.1966 [most likely] Cologne, Galerie Gmurzynska, Mela Muter. Bilder, Aquarelle, Zeichnungen, 20.11.1965 - 10.01.1966.
Reproduced
Mela Muter 1876-1967: Retrospektiv-Ausstellung [exhibition catalog], published by Galerie Gmurzynska, Cologne 1967, ill. 42, p. nlb. Mela Muter [exhibition catalog], published by Galerie Jean-Claude Bellier, Paris 1966, il. 19, p. nlb.
Literature
Mela Muter 1876-1967: Retrospektiv-Ausstellung [exhibition catalog], published by Galerie Gmurzynska, Cologne 1967, cat. no. 42, p. nlb.
The children in Mela Muter's paintings are not smiling. Emaciated, poor, often nameless - they are poignant in their miserable appearance and strike at the most sensitive strings of human empathy. The artist chose her models with full knowledge and intention. She looked for the truth in them. She focused on human misery and tragedy, portraying with keen observation and sublime expression the fate of the sick and crippled, the bent and depressed. "It was to them that she wanted to convey her emotions. Certain that only they properly understand her, though they may not say anything to her, though they may be children of several years. Not only will they understand, they will help, though they may not give specific advice. It is enough to keep their wise glances in memory, enough to see yourself and your problems against the background of their life stories," wrote Karolina Prewęcka (Prewęcka K., Mela Muter. Fever of Life, Fabuła Fraza Sp. z o.o., Warsaw 2019, p. 106).
The presented double-sided painting shows on the obverse a portrait of a red-haired girl - one of the poignant children's figures that occupy a special place in the artist's oeuvre. Shot in profile, the small model embraces a heavy clay jug with both hands, supporting it on her hip. She sits on a simple wooden chair almost entirely covered by a voluminous dress. The girl's head is tilted slightly downward, her eyes - full of sadness and thoughtfulness - stare into the void. Her face betrays seriousness and deep melancholy - so inappropriate for her age. Shot alone in an empty space, she stands apart from the bare wall on which her shadow subtly dances. The color palette, limited to cool beige and saturated oranges, focuses the viewer's gaze on the figure of the small model. Her porcelain complexion contrasts sharply with the intensity of her copper-red braids, striped dress and clay jug. Poignant, yet beautiful in its simplicity and sincerity, the portrait testifies to the great sensitivity of the artist, whose inner world of emotions is reflected in the girl's gaze.
The other side of the offered work depicts a female nude in perfect perspective foreshortening. The model's silhouette has been composed along a diagonal, presenting a tight but full of depth frame. With her back turned to the viewer, the woman lies casually on her back on soft bedding. Her chest and open bosom form the center of the painting, in an inverted arrangement - almost quoting Gustave Courbet's famous "Origin of the World" (1866). The painting represents the artist's bold, avant-garde take on one of the basic academic subjects. The nude here is not a manifesto of eroticism, but a study of the body - vivid, real and yet painterly perfect.
In Muter's oeuvre we can often find two-sided compositions. The painter used the underpainting on both sides of the sub-painting not only because of her artistic fertility, but also for economic reasons. Paradoxically, it is these works - combining two moods and two subjects - that are among the most sought after by collectors today. In the work on display, the contrast between the child portrait and the intimate nude study is particularly impressive. This non-obvious dialogue between innocence and carnality - captures the essence of Muter's art - an artist who painted human existence with absolute sincerity.
