Max Liebermann

Style: Impressionism; Realism;

Place: Berlin

Born: 1847

Death: 1935

Biography:

Early Life and Education

, a German-Jewish painter and printmaker, was born on July 20, 1847, in Berlin, Germany. He grew up in an imposing town house alongside the Brandenburg Gate, the son of a Jewish fabric manufacturer turned banker. Liebermann's early education included studying law and philosophy at the University of Berlin. However, he later pursued painting and drawing in Weimar (1869), Paris (1872), and the Netherlands (1876-77).

Artistic Career

Liebermann's artistic career was marked by his involvement with Impressionism, a style that emphasized capturing the fleeting moments of modern life. He became one of the leading proponents of this movement in Germany. His work is characterized by its spirit, which is close to Édouard Manet's style.

• Liebermann used his inherited wealth to assemble an impressive collection of French Impressionist works.
• He chose scenes of the bourgeoisie and aspects of his garden near Lake Wannsee as motifs for his paintings.
• Liebermann was a famous portrait painter in Berlin, with over 200 commissioned portraits, including those of Albert Einstein and Paul von Hindenburg.

Notable Works and Exhibitions

• The 12-Year-Old Jesus in the Temple With the Scholars (1879), an early painting that sparked debate due to its depiction of a Semitic-looking boy Jesus conferring with Jewish scholars.
• Liebermann's solo exhibition at the Prussian Academy of Arts in Berlin (on the occasion of his 50th birthday) and his subsequent election to the academy.
• He led the premier avant-garde formation in Germany, the Berlin Secession, from 1899 to 1911.

Legacy and Later Life

Liebermann resigned as president of the Prussian Academy of Arts in 1933, after the academy decided to no longer exhibit works by Jewish artists. He passed away on February 8, 1935, at his home in Berlin. Recommended Reading:

• Explore more about Max Liebermann's life and work on Wikioo.org
• Discover the history of Impressionism in Germany through Wikipedia's article on the History of the Nude in Art
• Visit the Museum Georg Schäfer, Germany, which features a collection of 19th-century paintings by German artists, on Wikioo.org