Standing, Sitting, and Bathing Girls near a Tree (Stehende, sitzendes und badendes Madchen am Baum)

Lithography enabled Mueller to draw directly onto a stone surface, producing lines that appear scratched or hurried. The ink sits unevenly, creating a textured, sketch-like surface. Sharp, irregular contours define the figures and foliage, rejecting smooth academic rendering. This method amplified the work’s immediacy, aligning with Die Brücke’s preference for emotional authenticity over technical refinement.

Made during Mueller’s mature period, the print emerged after his time with Die Brücke but retained the group’s ethos. It was likely produced in limited editions for private collectors and art circles. No major public collection records its early ownership, but its survival reflects its resonance among German modernists interested in primal, nature-bound imagery.

In postwar Germany, artists sought new modes of expression beyond traditional academies. Mueller’s focus on nude figures in natural settings responded to broader cultural interest in bodily freedom and spiritual renewal. His work contrasted with urban modernism, instead drawing from rural life and folk traditions, positioning nature as a site of emotional and physical authenticity.

The print exemplifies how printmaking became a vehicle for expressionist ideals outside painting. Mueller’s use of lithography influenced later artists exploring the body through direct, unembellished mark-making. While not widely exhibited during his lifetime, the work now contributes to understanding how German modernists redefined the nude through simplicity, gesture, and material honesty.