GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Part of the group of German Expressionists working in the early 20th century, Max Beckmann is especially well known for his psychologically fraught self-portraits. This trend was prominent in his work following World War I, when Beckmann issued a creative credo stating his intention “to be part of all the misery that is coming.” Accordingly, his self-portraits from this period, which marks a high point in his print production, are often bitter and stern. Of his 372 prints, the majority were produced from 1918 to 1922.
In a longstanding tradition of printmaking, many of Beckmann’s most important prints were published in portfolios. This self-portrait was included in a 1919 portfolio entitled Gesichter (Faces). Published in Berlin, the series is notable for its political overtones related to the Weimar period in Germany. Typical of his work, the simplicity of Beckmann’s etching technique gives this print an immediacy that makes it highly personal.
Excerpt from
Amy Wojciechowski, DMA label copy, 2017.
NOTES
Created 1918
Checked Piction
Text entry done for 1997 guide.
Beckmann was a respected and successful artist even at an early age. Ironically, his prestige led to his inclusion in 1937 in the infamous Degnerate Art exhibition organized by the National Socialists to single out and belittle artist whose aesthetics were unacceptable to Nazi politics. This brought his career in Germany to an abrupt halt, and thereafter he worked in Amsterdam and the United States, winning recognition as one of the most influential, prolific, and substantial artists of the twentieth century.
An important leitmotif throughout his career, the self-portrait offers insight not only to Beckmann's personality but to his notion of the importance of the artist to society as a prophet of truth. The bold, confident poses in his early self-portraits contrast with the alternately stern or meek postures he depicted during and after World War I. The self-portraits dating from his final years in America reveal Beckmann's regained confidence and artistic and emotional maturity.
This self-portrait dates from 1918, after Beckmann's service in World War I. In reaction to his traumatic experiences of the horror and brutality of war, Beckmann created a series of distressed self-portraits which range in emotion from moody and depressive to bitter and stern. In this image, Beckmann confronts the viewer with dramatic intensity. His stubbornly set chin, furrowed brow, and seething eyes are drawn with a firm, unhesitating line. The head dominates the paper, suggesting a sense of confinement which may parallel the bitter resentment and alienation that Beckmann felt after the war.
Excerpt from
Melinda Klayman, "Self-Portrait", in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection, ed. Suzanne Kotz (Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Art, 1997), 123.
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Beckmann, Max (German, 1884-1950)
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Drypoint on paper
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
WEB RESOURCES
- Tate, London~Learn more about the life and work of Max Beckmann from the Tate.
- Museum of Modern Art, New York~Check out Beckmann's portfolio Gesichter (Faces) which includes the DMA's self portrait.
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
TEACHING IDEAS
RULES
Apply to objects where number equals 1953.5
Category
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General Description
Part of the group of German Expressionists working in the early 20th century, Max Beckmann is especially well known for his psychologically fraught self-portraits. This trend was prominent in his work following World War I, when Beckmann issued a creative credo stating his intention “to be part of all the misery that is coming.” Accordingly, his self-portraits from this period, which marks a high point in his print production, are often bitter and stern. Of his 372 prints, the majority were produced from 1918 to 1922.
In a longstanding tradition of printmaking, many of Beckmann’s most important prints were published in portfolios. This self-portrait was included in a 1919 portfolio entitled Gesichter (Faces). Published in Berlin, the series is notable for its political overtones related to the Weimar period in Germany. Typical of his work, the simplicity of Beckmann’s etching technique gives this print an immediacy that makes it highly personal.
Excerpt from
Amy Wojciechowski, DMA label copy, 2017.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
Web Resources
- Tate, London~Learn more about the life and work of Max Beckmann from the Tate.
- Museum of Modern Art, New York~Check out Beckmann's portfolio Gesichter (Faces) which includes the DMA's self portrait.
Notes
Created 1918
Checked Piction
Text entry done for 1997 guide.
Beckmann was a respected and successful artist even at an early age. Ironically, his prestige led to his inclusion in 1937 in the infamous Degnerate Art exhibition organized by the National Socialists to single out and belittle artist whose aesthetics were unacceptable to Nazi politics. This brought his career in Germany to an abrupt halt, and thereafter he worked in Amsterdam and the United States, winning recognition as one of the most influential, prolific, and substantial artists of the twentieth century.
An important leitmotif throughout his career, the self-portrait offers insight not only to Beckmann's personality but to his notion of the importance of the artist to society as a prophet of truth. The bold, confident poses in his early self-portraits contrast with the alternately stern or meek postures he depicted during and after World War I. The self-portraits dating from his final years in America reveal Beckmann's regained confidence and artistic and emotional maturity.
This self-portrait dates from 1918, after Beckmann's service in World War I. In reaction to his traumatic experiences of the horror and brutality of war, Beckmann created a series of distressed self-portraits which range in emotion from moody and depressive to bitter and stern. In this image, Beckmann confronts the viewer with dramatic intensity. His stubbornly set chin, furrowed brow, and seething eyes are drawn with a firm, unhesitating line. The head dominates the paper, suggesting a sense of confinement which may parallel the bitter resentment and alienation that Beckmann felt after the war.
Excerpt from
Melinda Klayman, "Self-Portrait", in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection, ed. Suzanne Kotz (Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Art, 1997), 123.
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Beckmann, Max (German, 1884-1950)
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Drypoint on paper
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
1953.5
source file
object_notes_2_c-0013.xml.nores