The Currier Museum of Art acquired an important and unusual early 20th-century painting.
The work by German artist Max Pechstein is a rare example of an intentionally double-sided painting, back-to-back on a single piece of canvas.
The painting is the centerpiece of a exhibition opening Friday called “Paradise Lost: A Double-Sided Mystery by Max Pechstein.” Despite its significance, the painting has never before been studied closely. It appears that the landscape on one side and the still life on the other are not independent works, but form two parts of a combined story.
Kurt Sundstrom, curator at the Currier Museum, suggests that the landscape might be a depiction of the Garden of Eden, while the still life with a woman may show the Temptation of Eve.
Pechstein’s masterwork will be presented in a custom-made frame that will allow visitors to view both sides of the canvas for the first time.
Sundstrom and educator Ann Bible will give a talk Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. which will feature the painting. For more information, visit currier.org.