Max Beckmann: Exile in Amsterdam

Max Beckmann (1884–1950) created nearly a third of his entire oeuvre while in exile in Amsterdam between 1937 and 1947. These works reveal his creative response to the immediate historical and biographical situation. Horror over the developments in Nazi Germany and the physical and mental tension created by the mobilization of opposing forces were expressed in an incomparable cornucopia of multifaceted works.

Beginning with his last work completed in Germany, a triptych titled Versuchung (Temptation), in the Pinakothek der Moderne collection, this publication is dedicated to the paintings and drawings Beckmann did in a period of threatening political instability which he countered by concentrating on his own artistic intentions prior to his appointment as a professor at Washington University in St. Louis. This volume contributes considerably to the understanding of Beckmann’s work during his most productive and significant phase in life, while also providing a critical examination of this shameful period in German history.