Max Liebermann

"Amsterdam Jewish Quarter" original etching

1919

Max Liebermann (Berlin, 1847 - 1935) was a German painter, graphic artist, pastelist and illustrator. A transition from realism to impressionism is visible in his work. In 1871 he visited the studio of the Hungarian painter Mihály Munkácsy in Düsseldorf, whose work made a great impression on Liebermann. He then makes a short trip to the Netherlands. In December 1873 he went to Paris. He met Munkácsy, Troyon, Daubigny, Corot, Millet and Manet. In the Louvre he devoted himself to the study of the Dutch masters. In 1920 he was appointed president of the Preußische Akademie der Künste. In 1933, Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany. Because of his Jewish background, Liebermann resigned as honorary president of the Preußische Akademie der Künste. He then joined the newly founded Kulturbund Deutscher Juden and gave financial support to young Jews who wanted to flee to Palestine. In the last years of his life, Liebermann was shunned by the German artist community. Liebermann was active for more than sixty years and made about 1200 oil paintings. For years, Liebermann was called the "apostle of ugliness." Yet he was groundbreaking and avant-garde. The real impressionist work did not come until the end of 1900. In the Netherlands he was inspired by the wide landscapes, the sea and the beach.