Max Beckmann The World as a Stage   30.09.2017 – 04.02.2018

Max Beckmann: The World as a Stage

Max Beckmann (1884–1950) was fascinated by the world of the theater, the circus and music halls as metaphorical settings for human relationships and world affairs. In his œuvre, one finds numerous paintings, prints, drawings, and sculptures which allude directly to these subjects and convey his idea of the world as a stage.

This exhibition focuses extensively on the imagery and history of ideas in Beckmann’s  “world theater” and illustrates how the painter and author of two hitherto neglected dramas viewed himself as a “theater manager, director, and scene-shifter.” The core of the exhibition is formed by the extensive holdings of the Kunsthalle Bremen, which posseses one of the largest Beckmann collections in Germany including paintings and a nearly complete collection of the artist’s printed works. It is supplemented by loans from major German and international museums and private collections.

The exhibition was held in cooperation with the new Museum Barberini in Potsdam and was on display there from 23 February to 10 June 2018.

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