Plückebaum, Meta (1876-1945), Childlike Pierrot in a Fairy Tale World

Meta Plückebaum(1876-1945), Childlike Pierrot in a Fairy Tale World , pen and ink on brownish paper, 12 x 19 cm (inside measurement), 23 x 30 cm (frame), signed in pencil at lower right "Meta Plü[ckebaum]".

- very good condition

- Childlike imagination -

What at first glance appears to be a study sheet is, on closer inspection, a well-composed arrangement intended to appear random. In the center sits the protagonist of the painting, a laughing, childlike Pierrot, who seems to have climbed through the torn paper background of the picture and is looking into a fairy tale world.

Above him is a castle and beside it, people in historical costumes. Below him are delicate meadow flowers from which a butterfly flies away, watched with delight by the childlike Pierrot. The butterfly is also seen by the lady on the left, who find their counterpart in the bust of a woman on the other side of the plants. The signature is attributed to her, so that, at least according to the artist's understanding, this is a self-portrait. To the right, other meadow flowers unfold their filigree growth, which is counteracted by the fat fly next to them. These plants and the monstrous fly are in turn observed by the lady with the fan above, while the latter is observed by the rococo fop on the opposite side.

Although there is no definite action, there are clues throughout the picture that encourage us to imagine connections and to develop always new stories - a historia in phantasia. In this way, the sheet goes beyond a study and an illustration, it is an independent work of art, sealed by the artist's signature.

About the artist

Since art academies were not yet open to women, Meta Weber received private art lessons from the painter Hermann Emil Pohle in Düsseldorf. She was one of the first members of the Verein Düsseldorfer Künstlerinnen, founded in 1911, which was an early association of female artists. After moving from Düsseldorf to Munich, she met her future husband, Carl Plückebaum, in the artist circles of Schwabing. They moved to Düsseldorf together and shared a studio. The couple was well known in Düsseldorf art circles and were active in the artists' association Malkasten.

Meta Plückebaum became known primarily for her painted and etched images of cats and dogs and was also a sought-after painter of children's portraits. She also worked as an illustrator for children's books.