Max Beckmann: The Formative Years, 1915-25

This book explores a crucial decade in Max Beckmann's career as a leading figurative painter of the 20th century, focusing on his experiences during World War I and the influence of Cubism and Expressionism on his art. It examines his work between 1915 and 1925, which established him as a pioneer of representational painting. Essays by experts and scholars investigate the seminal energy in his work during this period.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 03 October 2023
Publisher: Prestel

This lavishly illustrated and comprehensive book delves into a pivotal decade in Max Beckmann's illustrious career as one of the preeminent figurative painters of the 20th century. This publication offers valuable insights into a critical phase in the artist's development, highlighting the achievements that solidified his esteemed reputation.

Beckmann's brief but harrowing experience as a medical orderly during World War I resulted in a nervous breakdown. He assimilated his experiences and embraced recent and radical artistic advancements, such as Cubism and Expressionism, which propelled him to pioneer new pictorial conceptions that began in 1915. To many of his contemporaries, the work Beckmann created between 1917 and 1925 positioned him at the forefront of the latest developments in representational painting. In 1925, Beckmann's celebrated status was further solidified by his prominent inclusion in the groundbreaking "Neue Sachlichkeit" (New Objectivity) exhibition in Mannheim, although he later distanced himself from the term.

This book aims to position Beckmann artistically and historically. Essays by both established experts and emerging scholars explore the seminal energy found in the work he created between 1915 to 1925, a period to which the artist himself repeatedly returned throughout his lifetime. The self-referential aspect of Beckmann's output is crucial in understanding his artistic progression, which becomes more apparent through an analysis of these critical early years.

Weight: 2136g
Dimension: 244 x 295 x 35 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783791379944