Movement, Style, School or Type of Art:
Expressionism
Date and Place of Birth:
February 12, 1884, Leipzig, Germany
Life:
Beckmann was the living embodiment of Expressionism, always painting in his own style. He was a figurative artist, and began by studying classic techniques of the masters. However, being drafted into the German army in WWI, combined with his experiences there, caused Beckmann's art to become Expressionistic. That Hitler hated Expressionism forced Beckmann into exile. In his last years, spent in the Netherlands and the US, he created his best-known, tortured pieces, often contained in triptychs.
Important Works:
- The Night, 1918-19
- Departure (triptych), 1932-35
- Numerous self-portraits
Date and Place of Death:
December 27, 1950, New York City
Sources and Further Reading
- Beckmann, Max; Barbara Copeland Buenger (ed.).
Self-Portrait in Words: Collected Writings and Statements, 1903-1950.
Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1997.
- Beckmann, Max. On My Painting.
New York : Harry N. Abrams, 2003.
- Rainbird, Sean (ed.). Max Beckmann.
New York : Museum of Modern Art, 2003.
- Selz, Peter. Beckmann (Modern Masters Series, Vol. 19).
New York : Abbeville Press, 1996.
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