The Hamburger Kunsthalle Hosts a Comprehensive Max Lieberman Retrospective

Written by Carol Vendraminy Tuesday, 31 January 2012 20:33

Hamburg, Germany.- The Hamburger Kunsthalle is delighted to present "Max Liebermann. Pioneer of Modern Art", on view at the museum until February 19th 2012. Max Liebermann (1847-1935) is credited with introducing Modernism to German painting. For the first time, a new exhibition at the Hamburger Kunsthalle presents a comprehensive retrospective revealing how this process took place and the impressive oeuvre Liebermann was executing at the time. Disillusioned by German academia, the young Berliner turned to France and Holland where he immersed himself in the progressive trends of the day. Liebermann studied outdoor painting in Barbizon, the cradle of naturalism; in Paris he came into contact with French Impressionism and in Holland he met supporters of The Hague School. In taking what he absorbed there and allowing it to flow into his work, Liebermann entered new territory both stylistically and in terms of subject.

Liebermann’s rendition of simple rural labor without literary and historical references drew harsh criticism at first, eventually culminating in the epithet “filth painter.” As cofounder and president of Berlin Secession Liebermann became the engine of an oppositional movement opposing the Prussian Wilhelmine art policy. This comprehensive retrospective unites over one hundred paintings from all phases of his creative development. They range from rustic, rural subjects to depictions of bourgeois leisure activity to his unerring portraits and the late, color-drenched garden paintings. Complementing the Hamburger Kunsthalle’s large holdings are several other key pieces on loan from national and international museums, supplemented by work generously loaned from private collectors.


The show is rounded off with examples of work by Liebermann’s influences Mihaly Munkácsy, Adolph Menzel, Paul Cézanne and Auguste Renoir. A separate room is dedicated to Liebermann’s pastel works with its Hamburg motives from the collection of the Kunsthalle. The exposure to Liebermann’s work in German museums in the time of National Socialism is presented in a documentary way in a separate room of the exhibition. There will be a film on display portraying the artist and the part on Liebermann of the film ‘Schaffende Hände (producing hands)’ (1922) of Hans Cürlis will be shown. Liebermann is also present with his voice in the radio broadcast ‘Aus meinem Leben (From my life)’ (1932).

The Hamburger Kunsthalle is one of the largest and most important museums of art in Germany. Its superb permanent collection takes visitors on a journey through seven centuries of art history, from the medieval altars of Master Bertram through to the stars of the contemporary art scene such as Gerhard Richter and Neo Rauch. Among the highlights of the collection are Dutch paintings of the 17th century, including works by Rembrandt and Ruisdael, German painting of the Romantic period with extensive groups of works by Caspar David Friedrich and Philipp Otto Runge, as well as important paintings by Adolph Menzel and Max Liebermann. The outstanding collection of classical modernist art features works by Max Beckmann, Edvard Munch and the painters of the "Brücke" group. In addition to its permanent collection, the Hamburger Kunsthalle has also won international acclaim for the quality of its special exhibitions, which attract thousands of visitors to the city every year.


The Hamburger Kunsthalle consists of three striking buildings: the brick building from 1869 with its ornamental facade, the neoclassical extension building from 1919 made of light-coloured shell limestone, and the white cube of the Galerie der Gegenwart designed by architect Oswald Mathias Ungers and opened in 1997. Centrally located between Hamburg's main railway station and the Alster lakes, the Kunsthalle is therefore also one of the city's architectural highlights. Besides offering wonderful surroundings for the appreciation of art, the Kunsthalle also houses two museum shops with a large selection of international art books, posters, postcards and design objects for sale. Visitors can enjoy one of the finest views of the city from the Bistro in the Galerie der Gegenwart, which together with Café Liebermann in the historical section of the museum and the new Café George Economou in the rotunda offers a relaxing dining experience. Visit the museum's website at ... http://www.hamburger-kunsthalle.de

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