Berlin, 1927. Paul Fuhrmann has just broken with the Der Sturm circle. With the group “Die Abstrakten,” he seeks a new path between radical abstraction and figuration. On his canvas, a bridge takes form.
Between Architecture and Theater
Observe these vertical pillars. Bands of pink, blue, and mauve structure the composition like a stage set. Bridge arches connect them, golden and curved, traversed by stylized silhouettes. Below, green zones evoke grass or foliage. But is this truly an exterior? The oblique light falls like that of spotlights. The flat areas of color, soft and pastel, reinforce this artificiality. Paul Fuhrmann paints in oil on canvas with astonishing decorative precision. Each form interlocks with the next.
An Engaged Abstract Artist
This “Bridge Motif” emerges at a pivotal moment. In 1926, the group Die Abstrakten exhibited at the Große Berliner Kunstausstellung. There Fuhrmann defended a constructive abstraction that retained figurative elements. The work strikes with its elegance. Yet in October 1927, the painter joined the Communist Party. A few months later, he joined ASSO, the Association of Revolutionary Visual Artists. The contrast is striking between these refined tones and their author’s radical political engagement. This tension between decorative aesthetics and militant conviction makes the work fascinating.
Paul Fuhrmann
Paul Fuhrmann (1893-1952) remains an obscure figure of the Berlin avant-garde of the 1920s. Trained in the wake of Der Sturm, he developed a personal geometric style, midway between Cubism and decorative art. This canvas is its most accomplished expression.
Think about it
💭 And you, what do you see first: an urban landscape or a theatrical set?
About This Work
- Bridge Motif (Brückenmotiv)
- Paul Fuhrmann
- 1927/1928
- Oil on canvas
- 111 × 85 cm
- Neue Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
- https://recherche.smb.museum/detail/959949/br%C3%BCckenmotiv
