Joseph Beuys

Online caption

This painting has been made on a piece of acetate using two types of oil, including the 'Braunkreuz' oil Beuys often used. Literally translated as 'Brown cross', this was a household paint commonly used for walls and floors. It was frequently used by the artist from the late 1950s when he wished to paint with a neutral material with sculptural qualities. The female figures in Beuys's work are usually shown in active positions, while male figures are static. Here, the two figures are crouching or squatting, as if ready to spring into action. The style of both the figures and the background also reflects Beuys's association of women with fluidity and movement.

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