Conrad Felixmuller (1897-1977)

The subject of this watercolour is Luca, Conrad Felixmüller's first child, who was one of the artist's favourite models. In 1918 Conrad Felixmüller had married Londa, Baroness von Berg, and later that year Luca was born; these two events engendered a significant change of mood in Felixmüller's paintings. In the late teens and up until the mid-1920s Felixmüller had created his own Expressionistic style, infused with Cubist elements and a vibrant contrasted palette, but soon realised that Expressionism, which mirrored a sense of urgency and of a need for immediate change, could no longer fulfil its aim within the political and social environment of the time. The cynicism of the Neue Sachlichkeit movement also did not appeal to Felixmüller, a very individualistic artist since the beginning of his career. In the mid-1920s he therefore evolved a very unique personal style, one which was more naturalistic, brighter and with which he could celebrate the happy and tranquil life he shared with his family.