In 1889, not far from Bremen, in Worpswede, a group of painters established an artist community. Withdrawn from the growing industrialization of cities, they longed for unspoilt nature, which they depicted with an idealistic vision, often melancholic and in praise of the rural life. They rejected any outside influences, and resident Paula Modersohn-Becker (b. 1876; d. 1907) often clashed with her fellow artists there. She never fully conformed to the conventions of the colony as she eagerly embraced the modern influences she discovered in Paris. Her depiction of elemental nature was embodied through the theme of motherhood, becoming the first woman artist to paint a nude self-portrait. Shortly after her premature death in 1907, Gustav Pauli organized an exhibition to commemorate her at the Kunsthalle Bremen. This was a pioneer event at the time, a solo show of a female artist.

Paula Modersohn-Becker
Dusk at the Countryside with House and Crotch, ca. 1900
Tempera on cardboard, 42.5 x 55.7 cm
Kunsthalle Bremen - Der Kunstverein in Bremen. Purchased 1967