Max Beckmann

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This richly illustrated and comprehensive publication examines a pivotal decade in Max Beckmann's career as a leading figurative painter of the twentieth century. It delves into a crucial period that shaped his artistic development and garnered him significant acclaim. Beckmann's harrowing experience as a medical orderly during World War I resulted in a nervous breakdown, which he processed through his art. He embraced recent movements like Cubism and Expressionism, leading to innovative pictorial concepts starting in 1915. The works he produced between 1917 and 1925 positioned him at the forefront of contemporary representational painting. His celebrated status was solidified in 1925 with his prominent role in the influential "Neue Sachlichkeit" (New Objectivity) exhibition in Mannheim, although he later distanced himself from this label. The book situates Beckmann within both artistic and historical contexts, featuring essays from established experts and emerging scholars that explore the dynamic energy of his work from 1915 to 1925—a period he revisited throughout his life. The self-referential nature of Beckmann's output is crucial for understanding his artistic evolution, which becomes clearer through an analysis of these formative years.