In 1925 art historian and museum director Gustav Friedrich Hartlaub organized an exhibition to chronicle contemporary painting in Germany called Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity). The show's name came to be synonymous with a cold, sober approach to subject matter coupled with precise brushwork. Artists working in this style produced hyperrealistic compositions that were infused with magical eeriness and sometimes included biting social critique.

The work of Hanns Kralik, who emerged in the late 1920s, exemplifies the style and ethos of New Objectivity. Tragically, the events of World War II cut his career short. Better known today for his anti-fascist pamphlets and publications, Kralik lost much of his early work at the hands of the German government. One of only a few extant paintings of Kralik, Out My Window remained with the artist until the end of his life.