Schiffe und sterne (Ships and stars) 1919

In Viadukt (Viaduct) and Schiffe und Stern (Ships and stars), urban and marine forms are fractured into angular planes and rhythmic lines, transforming familiar structures into crystalline visions of modern life. Lyonel Feininger’s longstanding interest in architectural and maritime themes originated during his childhood in New York, when he was captivated by the New York Central Railroad and the steamboats and sailboats on the Hudson River. Bridges, viaducts, railways and boats became recurring motifs, with motion, propulsion and dynamic movement a constant presence in his work.

Viadukt presents an architectural passageway reduced to intersecting geometries, its soaring arches suggesting both movement and constraint; while Schiffe und Stern evokes ships beneath a radiant celestial form, blending seafaring imagery with cosmic symbolism. The two works exemplify Feininger’s distinctive synthesis of Cubism, Expressionism and spiritual abstraction in the years surrounding the end of World War One.