The Pillow, c. 1903

The Pillow is the most important art print by Max Kurzweil (1867–1916) and one of the most significant prints of Viennese Jugendstil. The artist studied at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. Under Emil Orlik (1870–1932) he learnt the technique of the Japanese colored woodblock cut. The Pillow is the culmination point of these studies. The print shows his wife who has made herself comfortable on a sofa with a large pillow. Max Kurzweil uses five very delicate pastel colors the combination of which required utmost care and attention both from the carver and the printer. The soft greyish mauve of the dress and its bouffant skirt is structured by folds in a slightly darker color. The viewer has a feeling of getting a glimpse of an intimate interior. The whole scene is steeped in a certain melancholy, maybe because of the women’s turned-away pose with her face buried in her arms, maybe because of the pale mauve color tone.

BL, 2021