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5/4/2007

Max Beckmann

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Max Beckmann in Amsterdam, 1937-1947

This exhibition offers the first extensive retrospective of the work produced by Max Beckmann in his years in Amsterdam. Max Beckmann (1884-1950) was one of the leading and most distinguished German artists of the 20th century. After the Nazis had labelled his paintings ‘entartete Kunst’ (degenerate art), in 1937 Beckmann moved to Amsterdam, where he lived and worked until 1947.
[Max Beckmann (1884 – 1950), Acrobaat op trapeze, 1940, Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis, Missouri, c/o Beeldrecht Amsterdam 2006]

The exhibition shows masterpieces from this Amsterdam period, including the four impressive triptychs Carnival, Acrobats, The Actors and Perseus. His paintings bear witness to his interest in the world of cabaret, Dutch landscape and life in Amsterdam. Through his diary, letters, photographs and an impression of his studio, the visitor to the exhibition is given an insight to the life Beckmann lived in Amsterdam.

Exile
This period of exile proved a difficult time for him, but it was also highly productive. The work he produced in these years represents over a third of his oeuvre, and includes five of his nine famous triptychs. He also drew and sketched profusely in these years and in 1946 he produced his Day and Dream graphic series with its many references to the war and observations of everyday life in Amsterdam.

Masquerades
Theatre, revue and circus artists remained favourite themes throughout his career, demonstrating an entirely idiosyncratic affinity with (French) modernism. These ‘masquerades’ reflect Beckmann’s belief that life is theatre, and that it hides a different reality.

Inspiration
Beckmann drew inspiration from the work of the Flemish Primitives and Vincent van Gogh, among others. Above all, it was his daring use of colour that ranked Beckmann alongside Matisse and Picasso as one of the most sensational artists of the first half of the twentieth century.

In collaboration with the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich.
The exhibition can be seen in Munich from 13 September 2007 to 6 January 2008.

Running concurrently with the exhibition in the Van Gogh Museum, the Bible Museum in Amsterdam will show The Apocalypse, a major series of lithographs by Beckmann.

Catalogue
The exhibition is accompanied by the richly illustrated catalogue Max Beckmann in Amsterdam, 1937-1947 by Beatrice von Bormann (96 pages, 75 plates, paperback, € 19,95). This catalogue includes the historical city map In the footsteps of Max Beckmann. Another work being published at the same time is Max Beckmann, Exile in Amsterdam by Professor Christian Lenz, Profesor Carla Schulz-Hoffman and Beatrice von Bormann (450 pages, 300 illustrations, hardcover, in English and German, € 49,80).

Van Gogh Museum
Paulus Potterstraat, 7 - Amsterdam
Opening times: Museum: daily 10.00 to 18.00, Friday 10.00 to 22.00 Closed 1 January
Admission: Adults: € 10; 13-17 years: € 2.50; 0-12 years: free admission

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