Otto Mueller

German Expressionist, Otto Mueller, first distinguished himself from his contemporaries by creating works with a simplification of form and color, rather than painting the raw passion and emotion which were characteristic of the Expressionist movement. Mueller was influenced by Impressionism, Symbolism, and Art Nouveau movements, which explain the decorative and linear aspects of his early works. As he progressed, however, Mueller’s style underwent major changes as he turned more towards Expressionism—creating his emotion-evoking subjects of female nudes and gypsies, which are considered some of the best nude compositions of the time. Mueller was an innovator of his time, creating works that successfully blended themes from previous art movements with the drastically different Expressionist style.