Accession Number1948/1.427
TitleThe Lord's Prayer, sheet 5 - Give Us this Day Our Daily Bread (Das Vaterunser - Unser täglich Brot gieb uns heute)
Artist(s)Max PechsteinObject Creation Date1921Medium & Supportwoodcut with hand-coloring on paperDimensions 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)
Credit LineMuseum PurchaseSubject matterPechstein'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 men praying before their meager meal. Their poses and expressions suggest thankfulness paired with a sense of desperatation.
Physical DescriptionFour men in plain, dark clothing sit, with hands folded in prayer, around a rectangular table, in the center of which is a fish on an oval platter. The man at the far end has his eyes closed. The other three raise their faces to heaven.
Primary Object ClassificationPrintCollection AreaModern and ContemporaryRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
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Keywords
Expressionism
Expressionist (style)
Fish
food
men (male humans)
modern and contemporary art
portfolios (groups of works)
prayers (documents)
praying
sitting
woodcuts (prints)