Max Beckmann was born on 12 February 1884 in Leipzig, Germany. Beckmann developed an early interest in art, often making sketches in class. After failing to enter the Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden, Max enrolled at the Weimar-Saxon Grand Ducal Art Academy, studying under Carl Frithjof Smith and graduating with a diploma in 1902.
After WWI, Beckmann became one of the forerunners of the New Objectivity movement, using his art to address political and socio-economic issues in Germany. He exhibited widely in Europe and had his first exhibition in the United States in 1926. Before the start of WW2, Beckmann moved to Amsterdam, where he spent the later years of his life teaching.
He died of a heart attack on 27 December 1950 in New York, USA.
What was Max Beckmann Known For?
Max Beckmann was known for painting narrative scenes addressing economic, social, and political issues in post-war Germany. Beckmann’s one year in military service during the First World War impacted his decision to involve himself and his art in the troubling matters of the country. He used bright, expressive colors and stuck strictly to a narrative style in his famous oil paintings.
Who was Max Beckmann Influenced By?
Max Beckmann’s narrative and political art style was influenced by the aftermath of the Second World War. However, the teachings of Carl Smith, the dramatic methods of Vincent Van Gogh, and the philosophy of Friederich Nietzsche are evident in many of Beckmann’s paintings.
What Art Movement was Max Beckmann Associated With?
Max Beckmann was associated with Expressionism and New Objectivity Art Movements. Before associating with the New Objectivity movement, Beckmann worked in an Expressionist style following his study trips abroad.
Max Beckmann Artwork
Below are some of the artworks of Max Beckmann
Adam and Eve
Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery
Dancing Bar in Baden-Baden
Family Picture
Night
Portrait of Minna Beckmann-Tube
Seascape with poplars
Self-Portrait as a Nurse
Self-portrait in front of red curtain
Self-portrait with champagne glass
Self-Portrait with Red Scarf
Sinking of the Titanic
Small Landscape, Viareggio
The Descent from the Cross
The Dream
The Iron Bridge (View of Frankfurt)
All Max Beckmann Artwork on Artchive
| Artwork Name | Year | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Temptation | 1936 - 1937 | Oil on Canvas |
| Birds' Hell | 1938 | Oil on Canvas |
| Carnival | 1943 | Oil on Canvas |
| Columbine (Carnival Mask, Green, Violet and Pink) | 1950 | Oil on Canvas |
| The Night | 1918 | Oil on Canvas |
| The Prodigal Son | 1949 | Oil on Canvas |
| The Argonauts | 1949 - 1950 | Oil on Canvas |
| Odysseus and Calypso | 1943 | Oil on Canvas |
| Departure | 1932 - 1935 | Oil on Canvas |
| Man And Woman | 1932 | Oil On Canvas |
| Brother And Sister | 1933 | Oil On Canvas |
| Afternoon | 1946 | Oil On Canvas |
| Galleria Umberto | 1925 | Oil On Canvas |
| The King | 1934-37 | Oil On Canvas |
| Self-portrait | 1901 | Drypoint |
| Rugby Players | 1929 | Oil On Canvas |
| Party In Paris | 1931 (reworked 1947) | Oil On Canvas |
| The Mill | 1947 | Oil On Canvas |
| The Iron Footbridge | 1922 | Oil On Canvas |
| Black Irises | 1928 | Oil On Canvas |
| Family Picture | 1920 | Oil On Canvas |
| Carnival: The Artist And His Wife | 1925 | Oil On Canvas |
| Still Life With Candles And Mirror | 1930 | Oil On Canvas |
| Blindman's Buff | 1945 | Oil On Canvas |
| Beginning | 1949 | Oil On Canvas |
| Released | 1937 | Oil On Canvas |
| North Sea I, With Thunderstorm | 1937 | Oil On Canvas |
| Outskirts Overlooking The Sea At Marseille | 1937 | Oil On Canvas |
| Portrait Of Stephan Lackner | 1937-39 | Oil On Canvas |
| Self-Portrait in Tuxedo | 1927 | Oil on Canvas |
| The Dream | 1921 | Oil on Canvas |
| The Descent from the Cross | 1917 | Oil on Canvas |
| Dancing Bar in Baden-Baden | 1923 | Oil on Canvas |
| Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery | 1917 | Oil on Canvas |
| The Acrobats | 1939 | Oil on Canvas |
| Self-Portrait with Horn | 1938 | Oil on Canvas |
| Self-Portrait in Blue Jacket | 1950 | Oil on Canvas |
| Self-Portrait with Saxophone | 1930 | Oil on Canvas |
| Artists with Vegetables | 1943 | Oil on Canvas |
| Journey on the Fish | 1934 | oil |
| Perseus | 1940 - 1941 | Oil on Canvas |
| The Actors | 1942 | Oil on Canvas |
