Max Beckmann
- Born:
- February 12, 1884, Leipzig, Germany
- Died:
- December 27, 1950, New York City, USA
- Nationality:
- German
- Profession(s):
- Painter, Printmaker, Sculptor, Writer
Early Life and Education
- Born into a middle-class family in Leipzig.
- Early exposure to art through his grandfather, a hobby painter.
- Studied at the Grand-Ducal Saxon School of Art in Weimar from 1900 to 1903.
- Influenced by artists such as Lovis Corinth, Edvard Munch, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Career and Major Achievements
- Initially worked in a late impressionist style, later developing his own distinctive expressionist style.
- Served as a medical orderly in World War I, an experience that profoundly impacted his art.
- Developed a unique, figurative style characterized by distorted forms, claustrophobic space, and symbolic imagery.
- Taught at the Städelschule in Frankfurt from 1925 until he was dismissed by the Nazis in 1933.
- Went into exile in Amsterdam in 1937 after his work was declared "degenerate art" by the Nazi regime.
- Emigrated to the United States in 1947, where he taught at Washington University in St. Louis and the Brooklyn Museum Art School.
Notable Works
- The Night (1918-1919)
- Departure (1932-1935), a triptych
- Self-Portrait in Tuxedo (1927)
- Actors (1941-1942)
- Numerous lithographs, etchings, and drypoints.
Legacy and Impact
Max Beckmann is considered one of the most important German artists of the 20th century. His work, often allegorical and deeply personal, reflects the anxieties and disillusionment of the modern era. His influence extends to subsequent generations of figurative painters. As a valuable educational tool, the use of a 'max beckmann biography summary graphic organizer' can greatly aid in understanding the complex life and artistry of this significant figure.