Three Models - Karl Hubbuch

A stark, observational study of three women by German New Objectivity artist Karl Hubbuch, rendered in ink and watercolour.

Karl Hubbuch was a central figure of the New Objectivity (Neue Sachlichkeit) movement in Germany during the Weimar Republic. This work, Three Models, captures the detached, clinical observation characteristic of his practice. Hubbuch moved away from the emotional intensity of Expressionism, choosing instead to document the social realities of his time with a sharp, often cynical eye.

The composition presents three women standing against a dark, nondescript background. Their poses are stiff, and their expressions remain guarded. Hubbuch uses thin, precise ink lines to define their forms, while the muted watercolour washes provide a sense of volume and texture to their clothing. The figures appear isolated despite their proximity, reflecting the social alienation often explored by artists of the period.

Hubbuch frequently used his wife, Hilde Isay, as a model, and her features are recognisable in his depictions of women from this era. The work avoids idealisation, focusing on the specific details of fashion and posture that define the modern woman of the late 1920s. The palette is restrained, relying on greys, browns, and soft whites to maintain a sober atmosphere. This print offers a clear view into the aesthetic concerns of interwar German art, where the focus shifted toward the objective representation of contemporary life and the psychological distance between individuals in an urban environment. The work remains a precise record of the period's fashion and social attitudes, rendered with the technical economy that defined Hubbuch's graphic style.