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The Lord’s Prayer, sheet 11 – The Power and the Glory (Das Vaterunser – Und die Kraft und die Herrlichkeit)

Max Pechstein

Artwork Details

The Lord’s Prayer, sheet 11 – The Power and the Glory (Das Vaterunser – Und die Kraft und die Herrlichkeit)
1921
Max Pechstein
woodcut with hand-coloring on paper
23 ½ in x 16 ¼ in (59.69 cm x 41.28 cm);28 ⅛ in x 22 in (71.44 cm x 55.88 cm)
Museum Purchase
1948/1.433

Description

Subject Matter:

Pechstein's "The Lord's Prayer" series of woodcuts mixes the text of the prayer with images of human wretchedness and spiritual need that draw on the Christian tradition to comment directly on the suffering and despair experienced by many Germans in the aftermath of the First World War and the economic crisis that followed.
This sheet depicts the face of God and the omniscience and omnipotence of God channeled through the hands of men.

Physical Description:

Positioned in the upper center, a large eye sits inside a black triangle from which five arms and hands radiate. Behind the triangle and extending to the viewer's right edge is a rainbow. Below the triangle is a stylized, mask-like face that radiates beams of light rom its eyes. On each side of this large face is a man's face in profile. In the far background, there are mountains and clouds.

Usage Rights:

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