The artwork titled “Girls at the birch tree and flock of sheep in the background,” created by Paula Modersohn-Becker in 1903, is a representation of the Expressionism art movement and falls under the genre of genre painting. The piece showcases an idyllic yet contemplative rural scene.
In the artwork, a young girl is depicted seated beside a birch tree, enveloped in a serene countryside setting. She is dressed in a dark, earthy-toned dress, and appears to be in reflective thought. Her hat lies beside her on the ground in the foreground, adding to the human touch of the scene. A flock of sheep grazes in the distance, set against a backdrop of a light green field that merges softly into a dark treeline on the horizon. The birch trees are prominent, with their characteristic white and black bark providing a contrasting vertical element in the composition. The overall palette of earthy and muted colors, along with the textural brushstrokes, aligns with the emotional and immersive qualities typical of the Expressionism movement.
