Max Beckmann

~ 1884 – 1950

Max Carl Friedrich Beckmann was a German painter, draftsman, printmaker, sculptor, and writer. Although he is classified as an Expressionist artist, he rejected both the term and the movement.
In the 1920s, he was associated with the New Objectivity (Neue Sachlichkeit). This was an outgrowth of Expressionism. It opposed the introverted emotionalism of Expressionism. Beckmann often infused his works with an undercurrent of moodiness or unease. This occurred even when he dealt with light subject matter like circus performers.
By the 1930s, his work became more explicit in its horrifying imagery and distorted forms. He combined brutal realism with social criticism. This coincided with the rise of nazism in Germany.

From his youth he pitted himself against the old masters. His traumatic experiences of World War I dramatically transformed his style. He volunteered as a medical orderly during the war. His style changed from academically correct depictions to a distortion of both figure and space. This reflected his altered vision of himself and humanity.

Beckmann enjoyed great success and official honors during the Weimar Republic. In 1925, he was selected to teach a master class at the Städelschule Academy of Fine Art in Frankfurt. Some of his most famous students included Theo Garve, Leo Maillet and Marie-Louise von Motesiczky.
His fortunes changed when Adolf Hitler rose to power. Hitler's dislike of Modern Art quickly led to its suppression by the state. In 1933, the Nazi government insulted Beckmann by calling him a "cultural Bolshevik." They dismissed him from his teaching position at the Art School in Frankfurt. In 1937, the government confiscated more than 500 of his works from German museums. They put several of these pieces on display in the notorious Degenerate Art exhibition in Munich.
The day after Hitler made his radio speech about degenerate art in 1937, Beckmann left Germany. He departed with his second wife, Quappi, for the Netherlands.
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The art I selected is a mixture of erotic and dark themes. Often, bondage adds more power to the scenery.

3 albums/34 artworks
Latest Update: February 8, 2025 - Created a new page for this artist (34 artworks)

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