Pechstein was born in Zwickau, the son of a craftsman who worked in a textile mill. The family of eight lived on the father's salary.[1] An early contact with the art of Vincent van Gogh stimulated Pechstein's development toward expressionism. He first worked as a decorator in his home town before enrolling at the School of Applied Arts and then at the Royal Art Academy in Dresden, where he met the painter Otto Gussman and the architect Wilhelm Kreis.[2] It was here, starting in 1902, that he became a pupil of Gussmann; a relationship that lasted until 1906[3] when Pechstein met Erich Heckel and was invited to join the art group Die Brücke. He was the only member to have received formal art training. He was an active member of the Brücke until 1910 and often worked alongside Brücke painters creating a homogeneous style of this period. In 1905 he was in Dresden where the museum of ethnology showed wood carvings from the South Seas.[4] As a result he developed his first woodcut.
In 1907 Pechstein traveled to Italy to receive an award, and upon his return in 1908 spent time in Paris where he met the Fauvist painter Kees van Dongen whom he persuaded to join Die Brücke. Later that year Pechstein moved to Berlin (a move that fellow painters were to make in the following three years). After being categorically rejected from exhibiting in the Berlin Secession in 1910, he helped to found and became chairman of the New Secession and gained recognition for his decorative and colorful prints that were inspired by the art of Van Gogh, Matisse, and the Fauves.
In 1912, after years of rising tensions, Pechstein was expelled from the Brücke after exhibiting some of his work in the aforementioned Berlin Secession all by himself and without paintings of other members of the Brücke.[3] This expulsion was a relatively happy one as Pechstein had been receiving rewards and recognition far beyond his peers owing to his conservative style that appealed to a wider audience. This recognition only distanced him from the group and bred animosity among the members. His paintings eventually became more primitivist, incorporating thick black lines and angular figures. Looking for inspiration, he traveled to Palau in the Pacific ocean. Upon the outbreak of World War I, Pechstein was interned in Japan and returned to Germany via Shanghai, Manila, and New York. He was sent to fight on the Western Front (World War I) in 1916.[3] Despite his notably conservative stance and style, after the German Revolution of 1918–19, Pechstein joined two radical socialist groups: the Arbeitsrat für Kunst and the November Group (German). Beginning in 1922, Pechstein became a professor at the Berlin Academy.[3]
Beginning in 1933, Pechstein was vilified by the Nazis because of his art. He was banned from painting or exhibiting his art and later that year was fired from his teaching position. A total of 326 of his paintings were removed from German museums. Sixteen of his works were displayed in the Entartete Kunst (Degenerate Art) exhibition of 1937. During this time, Pechstein went into seclusion in rural Pomerania. He was reinstated in 1945, and subsequently won numerous titles and awards for his work.
Many of Pechstein's collectors were Jews whose collections were seized by the Nazis or lost owing to Nazi persecution. In May 2013 the Bavarian State Paintings Collections agreed to restitute Pechstein's White House, (1910) and his Meadow Valley (1911) to the heirs of Curt Glaser.[5] In July 2021, France decided to restitute to the heirs of Hugo Simon the Pechstein entitled Nus dans un paysage.[6]
He was married to Charlotte Karpolat from 1911 until 1923 and later was married to Marta Möller.[3] He died in West Berlin and is buried in the Evangelischer Friedhof Alt-Schmargendorf in Berlin.[7]
At a 1999 Sotheby's auction, The Yellow Mask I (1910), the portrait of a woman wearing a yellow mask, was sold for $1.37 million.[8] In 2008, Zirkus mit Dromedaren (c. 1920) was auctioned for £1.9 million in London.
References
^. Pechstein.de. Archived from the original on 2014-01-04. Retrieved 2014-03-12.
^Grisebach, Lucius (2003). Pechstein, (Hermann) Max. Oxford Art Online. doi:10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.T065962. ISBN978-1-884446-05-4. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
^ abcdeArnold, Alice Laura (2005). Brücke und Berlin, 100 Jahre Expressionismus: eine Ausstellung des Kupferstichkabinetts und der Nationalgalerie der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Brücke-Museum Berlin (in German). Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. p. 347. ISBN3-89479-271-X.
^"Restitutions: Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen restitute two watercolors by Max Pechstein from the Curt Glaser Collection and a painting by N.V. Díaz de la Peña from the George Behrens Collection". www.lootedart.com. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
^"France returns Pechstein painting looted in occupied Paris to heirs of Hugo Simon, a banker and leading figure in German cultural life". The Art Newspaper - International art news and events. 2021-07-02. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
^"Bei knerger.de: Grave of Max Pechstein in Berlin-Schmargendorf". Knerger.de. Retrieved 2014-03-12.
^Souren Melikian (16 October 1999), Glories of German Expressionism Emerge at Sales: An Era That Shrieked in Color International Herald Tribune.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Max Pechstein.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Max Pechstein.
Official Max Pechstein Webpage/Catalogue raisonne of Pechstein's oil paintings
Hermann Max Pechstein (1881 - 1955) Biography at Galerie Ludorff, Düsseldorf, Germany
January 20, 2023
pechstein, hermann, december, 1881, june, 1955, german, expressionist, painter, printmaker, member, brücke, group, fought, western, front, during, world, classified, degenerate, nazis, more, than, paintings, were, removed, from, german, museums, during, nazi, . Hermann Max Pechstein 31 December 1881 29 June 1955 was a German expressionist painter and printmaker and a member of the Die Brucke group He fought on the Western Front during World War I and his art was classified as Degenerate Art by the Nazis More than 300 paintings were removed from German Museums during the Nazi era Max PechsteinMax Pechstein in a photograph taken in 1946Born 1881 12 31 31 December 1881Zwickau German EmpireDied29 August 1955 1955 08 29 aged 73 West Berlin West GermanyNationalityGermanEducationSchool of Applied Arts Dresden Royal Art Academy DresdenKnown forPainting printmakingStyleExpressionismMovementDie BruckeMax Pechstein in his house in Berlin Zehlendorf 1915 Max Pechstein 1911 Under the Trees Akte im Freien oil on canvas 73 6 99 cm 29 39 in Detroit Institute of Arts Grave of Max Pechstein in the Evangelischer Friedhof Schmargendorf in Berlin Contents 1 Life and career 2 Personal life 3 Works 4 Art market 5 References 6 External linksLife and career EditPechstein was born in Zwickau the son of a craftsman who worked in a textile mill The family of eight lived on the father s salary 1 An early contact with the art of Vincent van Gogh stimulated Pechstein s development toward expressionism He first worked as a decorator in his home town before enrolling at the School of Applied Arts and then at the Royal Art Academy in Dresden where he met the painter Otto Gussman and the architect Wilhelm Kreis 2 It was here starting in 1902 that he became a pupil of Gussmann a relationship that lasted until 1906 3 when Pechstein met Erich Heckel and was invited to join the art group Die Brucke He was the only member to have received formal art training He was an active member of the Brucke until 1910 and often worked alongside Brucke painters creating a homogeneous style of this period In 1905 he was in Dresden where the museum of ethnology showed wood carvings from the South Seas 4 As a result he developed his first woodcut In 1907 Pechstein traveled to Italy to receive an award and upon his return in 1908 spent time in Paris where he met the Fauvist painter Kees van Dongen whom he persuaded to join Die Brucke Later that year Pechstein moved to Berlin a move that fellow painters were to make in the following three years After being categorically rejected from exhibiting in the Berlin Secession in 1910 he helped to found and became chairman of the New Secession and gained recognition for his decorative and colorful prints that were inspired by the art of Van Gogh Matisse and the Fauves In 1912 after years of rising tensions Pechstein was expelled from the Brucke after exhibiting some of his work in the aforementioned Berlin Secession all by himself and without paintings of other members of the Brucke 3 This expulsion was a relatively happy one as Pechstein had been receiving rewards and recognition far beyond his peers owing to his conservative style that appealed to a wider audience This recognition only distanced him from the group and bred animosity among the members His paintings eventually became more primitivist incorporating thick black lines and angular figures Looking for inspiration he traveled to Palau in the Pacific ocean Upon the outbreak of World War I Pechstein was interned in Japan and returned to Germany via Shanghai Manila and New York He was sent to fight on the Western Front World War I in 1916 3 Despite his notably conservative stance and style after the German Revolution of 1918 19 Pechstein joined two radical socialist groups the Arbeitsrat fur Kunst and the November Group German Beginning in 1922 Pechstein became a professor at the Berlin Academy 3 Beginning in 1933 Pechstein was vilified by the Nazis because of his art He was banned from painting or exhibiting his art and later that year was fired from his teaching position A total of 326 of his paintings were removed from German museums Sixteen of his works were displayed in the Entartete Kunst Degenerate Art exhibition of 1937 During this time Pechstein went into seclusion in rural Pomerania He was reinstated in 1945 and subsequently won numerous titles and awards for his work Many of Pechstein s collectors were Jews whose collections were seized by the Nazis or lost owing to Nazi persecution In May 2013 the Bavarian State Paintings Collections agreed to restitute Pechstein s White House 1910 and his Meadow Valley 1911 to the heirs of Curt Glaser 5 In July 2021 France decided to restitute to the heirs of Hugo Simon the Pechstein entitled Nus dans un paysage 6 He was a prolific printmaker producing 421 lithographs 315 woodcuts and linocuts and 165 intaglio prints mostly etchings Personal life EditHe was married to Charlotte Karpolat from 1911 until 1923 and later was married to Marta Moller 3 He died in West Berlin and is buried in the Evangelischer Friedhof Alt Schmargendorf in Berlin 7 Works Edit Pechstein Woman s Head Fraukopf c 1911 M T Abraham FoundationArt market EditAt a 1999 Sotheby s auction The Yellow Mask I 1910 the portrait of a woman wearing a yellow mask was sold for 1 37 million 8 In 2008 Zirkus mit Dromedaren c 1920 was auctioned for 1 9 million in London References Edit Max Pechstein Chronology Pechstein de Archived from the original on 2014 01 04 Retrieved 2014 03 12 Grisebach Lucius 2003 Pechstein Hermann Max Oxford Art Online doi 10 1093 gao 9781884446054 article T065962 ISBN 978 1 884446 05 4 Retrieved December 4 2018 a b c d e Arnold Alice Laura 2005 Brucke und Berlin 100 Jahre Expressionismus eine Ausstellung des Kupferstichkabinetts und der Nationalgalerie der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Brucke Museum Berlin in German Staatliche Museen zu Berlin p 347 ISBN 3 89479 271 X http www pechstein de in english Restitutions Bayerische Staatsgemaldesammlungen restitute two watercolors by Max Pechstein from the Curt Glaser Collection and a painting by N V Diaz de la Pena from the George Behrens Collection www lootedart com Retrieved 2021 10 14 France returns Pechstein painting looted in occupied Paris to heirs of Hugo Simon a banker and leading figure in German cultural life The Art Newspaper International art news and events 2021 07 02 Retrieved 2021 10 14 Bei knerger de Grave of Max Pechstein in Berlin Schmargendorf Knerger de Retrieved 2014 03 12 Souren Melikian 16 October 1999 Glories of German Expressionism Emerge at Sales An Era That Shrieked in Color International Herald Tribune External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Max Pechstein Wikiquote has quotations related to Max Pechstein Works by or about Max Pechstein at Internet Archive Max Pechstein at Artcyclopedia Official Max Pechstein Webpage Catalogue raisonne of Pechstein s oil paintings Hermann Max Pechstein 1881 1955 Biography at Galerie Ludorff Dusseldorf Germany Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Max Pechstein amp oldid 1133074523, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
