Letter from Max Beckmann to Stephan Lackner, 4 August 1937
On 4 August 1937, Max Beckmann writes from Amsterdam to writer and collector Stephan Lackner that he will have a new studio at his disposal the next day, also explaining: “I want to stay here for now, then maybe move on to Paris later on. For the interim, Amsterdam is not bad.
Max Beckmann: Carnival, Triptych, painting (1942 - 1943)
In 1942 and 1943 Max Beckmann painted another of his triptychs while in exile in Amsterdam: Carnival, also referred to as “Carnival in Amsterdam” in his list of pictures and initially titled Adam und Eva in his diaries. The second title can be found in the inscriptions of the left and centre pictures.
Max Beckmann: Departure. Triptych, painting (1932-1935)
In Beckmann’s own list of his works, the titles of the individual paintings of the triptych are: The Castle (left), The Staircase (right) and The Homecoming (middle painting).
Max Beckmann: Double-Portrait. Max Beckmann and Quappi, painting (1941)
When we examine the artist Max Beckmann and his exile, we must not forget his wife , Mathilde “Quappi” Beckmann (nee Kaulbach), who went into exile with him. She was at his side as he was defamed as “degenerate” and was dismissed from the vocational school for arts and crafts in Frankfurt in 1933.
Max Beckmann: Illustrations for Apokalypse (1941-1942)
“Worked on Appo. Dark Sunday.” This is the entry for 14 December 1941 in Beckmann’s diary. The years 1941 and 1942 are also the years of the illustrations to the “Apocalypse”, now under German occupation in Holland.
Max Beckmann: Landing Quay in Stormy Weather, painting (1936)
Max Beckmann loved the sea and this picture reflects the impressions made on him during his frequent visits to the coast. The painting belongs to his sea pictures, which feature frequently throughout his entire work.
Max Beckmann: Les Artistes with Vegetables, painting (1943)
In 1943 Max Beckmann painted a picture while in exile in Amsterdam which is unique among his works: Les Artistes with Vegetables, as he himself titled it. He can be seen here with the painters Vordemberge-Gildewart (front left) and Otto Herbert Fiedler (back left) as well as the poet Wolfgang Frommel (back right).
Max Beckmann: Place de la Concorde by Day, painting (1939)
Max Beckmann was in Paris for the first time in 1903, and then again in 1906. From 1925, he was there almost every year and rented a studio there from 1929 to 1932.
Max Beckmann: Portrait of Stephan Lackner, painting (1939)
The author Stephan Lackner, was born in Paris in 1910 as Ernest Gustav Morgenroth. From 1933 he became increasingly better acquainted with Max Beckmann, whose work he collected.
Max Beckmann: Self-Portrait with Champagne Glass „Le Temps passe“, painting (1945)
“At around 10 a Dutch girl turned up at Lütjens: ! PEACE !” This was the entry in Max Beckmann’s diary and, in the jotter with the kist of pictures, in large letters: “War= End”, below that in smaller writing: “Friday evening 4 May 1945” (ed. trans.)
