| Women Plucking Geese | |
|---|---|
| German: Die Gänserupferinnen | |
 | |
| Artist | Max Liebermann |
| Year | 1872 |
| Medium | oil on canvas |
| Movement | Realism |
| Dimensions | 119.5 cm× 170.5 cm(47.0 in× 67.1 in) |
| Location | Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin |
Women Plucking Geese is an oil on canvas painting by German painter Max Liebermann, from 1872. The work is his first painting of large dimensions and measures 119.5 by 170.5 cm. It is held in the Alte Nationalgalerie, in Berlin. [1]
Liebermann's early style was clearly realistic and particularly influenced by the 17th-century Dutch painting. Since 1874 Liebermann regularly stayed in the Netherlands as a place of residence. [2] He studied, among others, the work of painters like Frans Hals and Rembrandt. [3] The influence of their technique of chiaroscuro can be noticed in the current painting. In his depictions of rural motifs, it can also be seen the influence of Mihály von Munkácsy. This painting in particular was inspired by one that he had seen at von Munkácsy's studio. [4] The current canvas was created in Weimar, at the time when Liebermann was studying at the Grand Ducal Saxon Art School, since 1868. [5]
The painting depicts a group of older women, who are seated in a dark room and are plucking geese. At the same time, a man arrives to bring them more animals. This presence is the only interaction between people in the painting, otherwise the looks of those involved appear rather serious and busy. A small, open window can be seen as a point of light within the painting, and light also comes from the viewer's perspective. There is also the detail of a lamp hanging in the ceiling, showing that it is not lit. [6]
The painting were initially not well received by the critics, like his early works depicting rural motifs. It was only with his more impressionistic paintings that he started to have better reviews. [7] Nevertheless, the German railway millionaire Bethel Henry Strousberg still bought it for his art collection. It is now in the collection of the Alte Nationalgalerie, in Berlin. [8]
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