beck & jung
Max Beckmann, a German painter, printmaker, sculptor, and writer, stood out in the early 20th century for his profound contributions to modern art. Beckmann's career spanned a tumultuous period in history, deeply influencing his thematic and stylistic choices. Unlike many of his contemporaries who embraced non-representational painting, Max Beckmann persisted with and evolved the tradition of figurative painting, drawing inspiration from a wide array of artists spanning from Cézanne and Van Gogh to medieval masters like Bosch and Bruegel.
Max Beckmann's experiences, particularly those related to the World Wars, significantly shaped his work. Following Adolf Hitler's rise to power and the subsequent condemnation of modern art as "degenerate," Beckmann fled Germany, spending a decade in self-imposed exile in Amsterdam before eventually relocating to the United States. His art from this period, especially his large triptychs, is considered some of his most potent, offering a stark reflection on humanity and the chaos of the times.
One of Max Beckmann's most personally allegorical works, "Beginning" (1949), encapsulates his knack for blending real and imagined elements from his life to comment on the broader human condition. This piece, alongside others, underscores Beckmann's enduring fascination with the existential struggles modern society faces, teetering between desire and societal roles.
Max Beckmann's legacy is cemented not just by his unique approach to modernism but also by his influence on subsequent generations of artists, particularly in the United States, where he spent his final years teaching and working. Despite a path that often diverged from the mainstream narratives of art history, Beckmann's work continues to resonate, housed in prestigious institutions like The Museum of Modern Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Max Beckmann's oeuvre offers a compelling exploration of 20th-century art and history. To stay informed about new discoveries, sales, and auction events related to Max Beckmann, consider signing up for updates. This subscription ensures access to the latest opportunities to engage with the work of one of modernism's most individual voices.
Paula Moderzohn-Becker was a German early expressionist painter.
In her youth she attended the traditional School for Women Artists in Berlin. Like many local German artists, she painted sentimental landscapes and scenes from peasant life.
And in 1900 Paula traveled with her husband to Paris, where she was influenced by post-Impressionist paintings and became an ardent enthusiast of painting by Paul Gauguin and Paul Cézanne. Today she is considered a forerunner of Expressionism because of the power of her compositions, although during her lifetime she was completely ignored. During her short career Moderzohn-Becker painted 750 canvases, about 1,000 drawings and 13 etchings, all of which incorporated the major art movements of the early 20th century.
Käthe Kollwitz (born as Schmidt) was a German artist who worked with painting, printmaking (including etching, lithography and woodcuts) and sculpture. Her most famous art cycles, including The Weavers and The Peasant War, depict the effects of poverty, hunger and war on the working class. Despite the realism of her early works, her art is now more closely associated with Expressionism. Kollwitz was the first woman not only to be elected to the Prussian Academy of Arts but also to receive honorary professor status.
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Serge Poliakoff was a Russian-born French modernist painter belonging to the 'New' Ecole de Paris (Tachisme).
Hans Olde was a German painter of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He is known as an impressionist painter and graphic artist, as well as a teacher and administrator.
Olde produced images of people, animals, landscapes, portraits and genre paintings, experimenting with pointillism. He was one of the founders of the Munich Secession and directed the Saxon Higher School of Art in Weimar. In 1911 the master became head of the Academy of Art in Kassel, playing an important role in the development of both the Weimar and Kassel academies, introducing reforms in the teaching process and supporting the admission of women artists. Olde had a significant influence on the development of the art of his time.
