Lesbian Couple, n. d.

Full breasts, physical intimacy and erotically charged gestures in an extreme close-up: In his work on paper Lesbian Couple, the graphic artist and painter Karl Hubbuch (1891–1979) uses ironizing, almost caricaturing refractions to undermine established viewing habits with a delicate style of drawing and technical finesse by contrasting erotic desire displayed with a pertly obscene air on the one side and dismissive skepticism and restraint on the other side. In a curious manner, the artist creates an unpleasant, almost disturbing atmosphere. The gaze of the beholders rests on the upper body of a reclining woman with big breasts, whose face reacts to the advances of a second woman with an expression that oscillates between bafflement, curiosity and disgust. The second, desiring woman is pressing up against her with clenched teeth and a pointed grimace of sensual overstimulation. With her little hand, she is squeezing her breast with an erect nipple and holding it out to the first woman, apparently to express her erotic arousal. With a keen psychological understanding, Hubbuch contrasts the mimic dispositions and body language of the two women in exaggerated ambivalence in his depiction of female homoeroticism and thus relentlessly reveals – primarily male – expectations, holding up a mirror to the beholders.

MH, 2021