Karl Hofer

This painting was made in 1936 and thus at a time when Karl Hofer, who had already taken a clear public stand against the Nazis early on, was increasingly met with professional restrictions. Even though the motif of the silent pair of figures that fills the composition is a recurring feature in his work and the fact that there are hardly any contemporary historical references to be found here, one is inclined to recognise a hidden accusation in the direct gaze of the figure on the right, standing in the half-shadow of the woman on the left, who is almost sculptural in appearance due to her colouration and posture.