August Macke’s Kinder am Brunnen II (Children at the Fountain II), painted in 1910, draws an everyday encounter into a concentrated arrangement of colour and gesture. Two children occupy the vertical composition: a girl in a green dress and white apron stands to the left, while a seated boy leans in from the right. Between them is a large blue ceramic vessel, its rounded form and dark decoration providing the painting’s visual centre. Rather than describing the scene through meticulous detail, Macke builds it from vivid passages of blue, green, orange and red, held together by loose, energetic brushwork.

The painting belongs to a decisive moment in Macke’s development and in the emergence of German Expressionism. Created shortly before the formation of Der Blaue Reiter, with which he became closely associated, it already displays his characteristic transformation of ordinary life through simplified form and harmonised colour. Macke was particularly receptive to the new pictorial languages reshaping European art in the early twentieth century, yet his work often retained an unusual warmth and ease. Here, artistic experiment is grounded in a familiar subject: children absorbed in a shared activity, their attention focused not on the spectator but on the vessel before them.

A closer look

The composition is asymmetrical but carefully balanced. The standing girl forms a tall column along the left side, her profile, braid and red ribbon clearly articulated against the lighter ground. Her green dress occupies a broad, saturated area, interrupted by the softly curving white apron and the pale tones of her bare feet. Opposite her, the boy’s compact seated pose creates a lower, denser shape. His blue top echoes the vessel, while his brown shorts connect him to the warmer earth colours beneath the figures.

The ceramic vessel acts almost as a hinge between the children. Its intense blue immediately draws the eye, but closer inspection reveals dark floral or scrolling patterns across its surface. The girl appears to steady or hold it, while the boy’s gaze and posture direct attention back towards it. This circulation—from girl to vessel to boy—gives movement to a scene in which the figures themselves are relatively still. Macke’s shallow construction of space brings all three principal forms close to the picture plane, making their interaction feel immediate.

Around this central group, the setting dissolves into flickering colour. Pale yellow and white strokes suggest light playing through the upper background, while whispery greens imply foliage without defining a particular garden. Leaves gather more distinctly along the lower edge, and a rounded stone appears near the base of the platform. Shadows are restrained; instead, colour establishes structure. The red ribbon flashes against the girl’s green clothing, cool blues meet orange and earthy brown, and the children’s softly painted skin provides quieter intervals amid the stronger chromatic passages.

Context and significance

Macke’s Expressionism was less concerned with distortion for its own sake than with finding a lucid visual order beneath modern experience. Figures, clothing and surroundings could be reduced to broad, interlocking shapes without losing their recognisable humanity. Kinder am Brunnen II demonstrates that balance particularly well: its flattened perspective and emphatic colour are unmistakably modern, yet the children remain tenderly observed through posture, dress and absorbed concentration.

The work also shows how Macke could make a modest domestic or garden episode carry substantial pictorial energy. Nothing here depends upon narrative drama. The interest lies in the relationship of bodies and objects, in the rhythm of curved contours, and in colour made almost independent of naturalistic light. The result is playful without becoming sentimental—a closely framed moment of childhood rendered with the clarity and radiance that distinguish Macke’s contribution to early German modernism.

Choosing the right size and finish

Artwork can feel intimate at smaller sizes and dramatically more architectural at larger ones. Use the room preview, model image and size guide to see how the proportions and scale will work in your space.

If you need an exact size, specialist framing or help planning a larger display, ask our workshop for advice.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this art print.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, or one considered visual detail. See examples of personalised artwork.

Choose Original to retain the colour and character of the source artwork, or Aged for a warmer, more antique appearance. See examples of our Aged artwork.

Every piece is produced to archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte art paper. Choose an art print, framed art print or framed canvas using the finish options above.

Framed art prints use crystal-clear optical acrylic for excellent clarity, lower weight and safer delivery than glass. Each piece arrives professionally framed and ready to hang.

Selected artworks can be produced at statement sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). Custom sizing and specialist framing are also available. If the exact option you need is not listed, contact our workshop.

This artwork is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The work is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present an art print without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas art and explore the differences between my different finishes.