5 x 36
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.
Friedrich Kallmorgen was a German Impressionist painter who specialized in landscapes and cityscapes.
Ludwig Wilding was a German artist whose work is associated with Op art and Kinetic art.
Bert Stern, real name Bertram Stern, is an American fashion photographer and documentary filmmaker.
His career began with the iconic and legendary Smirnoff Vodka advertising campaign in 1955. Using a well-equipped studio, Stern experimented with many of the latest techniques, including videotaping, screen printing, photo offset combinations and computer prints. His brilliant work made him a star in the advertising world, photographing advertising campaigns for Canon, Dupont, Pepsi-Cola, US Steel and Volkswagen brands. One of the high points of Bert Stern's career was working for Vogue in the 1960s.
Despite his drug addiction, the fashion photographer was sought after by Madison Avenue, Hollywood and the international fashion scene for decades.
Stern was one of the last photographers to shoot Marilyn Monroe in June and July 1962, six months before her death. Some of these photographs were published in Vogue magazine. In 1982, Bert Stern published The Last Sitting, a book that includes many of his more than 2,500 images, including those that Monroe did not like and were crossed out.
Stern directed and cinematographed the films Jazz on a Summer's Day (1959), A Date with an Angel (1987), and The Unknown Marilyn (2012).
Melchior d'Hondecoeter was Dutch animalier painter, was born in Utrecht and died in Amsterdam. After the start of his career, he painted virtually exclusively bird subjects, usually exotic or game, in park-like landscapes. Hondecoeter's paintings featured geese (brent goose, Egyptian goose and red-breasted goose), fieldfares, partridges, pigeons, ducks, northern cardinal, magpies and peacocks, but also African grey crowned cranes, Asian sarus cranes, Indonesian yellow-crested cockatoos, an Indonesian purple-naped lory and grey-headed lovebirds from Madagascar.
