The Lord’s Prayer, sheet 8 – And Lead Us Not into Temptation (Das Vaterunser – Und führe uns nicht in Versuchung)
Max Pechstein
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 shows a man and woman, meant to represent Adam and Eve, struggling with one another, a visual metaphor suggesting bodily temptation, while menaced by a snake, a fox, and a figure that is executed to look like a mythical figure from a non-western culture.
Physical Description:
A nude man and woman at center struggle with one another; a snake and a seated figure are visible in the background. The two central figures with intertwined limbs suggesting a struggle are positioned above a sharp-toothed mammal resembling a fox.
Usage Rights:
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.