Abstraction (the Blue Mountain)

Time for some abstraction!

In the painting we present today, the blue mountain that gives the painting its title dissolves into wedge-shaped fields of color, blending with the sky and the neighboring peak in an upward, dynamic movement. This creates both a sense of monumentality and an impression of the form breaking down into crystalline structures. Christian Rohlfs, a German painter and printmaker and one of the important representatives of German expressionism, prioritizes the painterly process—surface and color—over three-dimensional representation, making the work a pioneering step toward true abstraction.

Rohlfs engaged deeply with artistic Modernism, studying Post-Impressionist, Expressionist, and abstract trends. Between 1910 and 1912, he lived in Munich, where he came into contact with members of Der Blaue Reiter and explored radical ways of translating mountain forms into flat planes of pure color. In 1911, reflecting his rejection of direct naturalism, he declared, “I do not paint according to nature.”

P.S. Expressionism can feel mysterious—but it doesn’t have to be. Our free How to Look at Art course will show you exactly how to approach works like this with confidence and curiosity.

P.P.S. Here's all you need to know about Expressionism!