About the work

These "lilies" from Erich Heckel’s late work radiate levity and liveliness. The slender stems bend upwards, following a delicate line. The leaves are also bent and turn in every direction. The petals sometimes appear to nearly dissolve, which is, however, counteracted by their delicate underdrawing. The flowers nearly fill the entire pictorial space. This is greatly reduced, so that the lilies become the defining pictorial motif. Only recognisable as details are a table and a chair back behind them. All of this is arranged in front of a white rectangle. These geometric forms provide a fixed and stable framework for the plants, which convey liveliness and motion. The colours also follow this contrast. The entire work is kept in a bright, light grey shade of green. The colours of the leaves and stems, the vase, the table and the wall are kept tone on tone. The work is thus permeated by a quiet prevailing mood. The blossoms are pronouncedly abstracted in their formal design, which helps the entire composition to achieve an ornamental character. Only the red and yellow of the lily blossoms stand out. While the lily in general stands for beauty, purity and dignity, the red lily, the fire lily, is also a symbol of love.