Bernhard Maaz – författare

The Modern Art Collection (Sammlung Moderne Kunst) at the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich is one of the world's leading institutions for painting, sculpture, photography and new media. The spectrum ranges from the avant-garde movements of the early twentieth century to contemporary art. In the incomparably rich collection of Expressionists, the Cubist and Futuristic re-definition of autonomous art challenges the question of man's changed circumstances in the modern age.The artists of the 'Brücke' and the 'Blaue Reiter', along with Max Beckmann, who is uniquely represented here, address this issue eloquently. Pablo Picasso's pictorial fantasies and formal richness of invention are highlighted, along with Surrealists like Max Ernst, René Magritte and Salvador Dalí. Important themes after 1950 are debated in the works by Joseph Beuys, Andy Warhol, Dan Flavin, Georg Baselitz and others. This volume offers the author's refreshingly personal perspective on these subjects and highlights the iconic works in this world-class collection.

With its excellent selection of masterpieces, this guide presents the full spectrum of artistic expression reflected in the Bavarian State Painting Collections’ Sammlung Moderne Kunst (Modern Art Collection) which ranks among the very best in the world. Milestones of art have been on show in the collection’s galleries at the Pinakothek der Moderne Munich since 2002. Besides the largest suite of works by Max Beckmann in Europe, the collection boasts remarkable paintings by Kandinsky, Kirchner, and Picasso, major works by Bacon, Baselitz, and Warhol, photography by the likes of August Sander to Jeff Wall, as well as pieces by contemporary artists working in painting and media art. In a series of insightful essays, the book offers an expert gaze to the various movements in the history of 20th and 21st century art. An indispensable companion to the highlights of the Modern Art Collection in the Pinakothek der Moderne With an introduction to the history of the collection An overview of modern art in 19 chapters

Max Beckmann (1884–1950), the outstanding Expressionist painter, is regarded as one of the most important artists of the twentieth century. His works, jostling with figures and full of colour, are packed with highly symbolic messages. They are critical of the times in which he lived and bear witness to Beckmann’s struggle with existential questions and his constant search for truth. Max Beckmann is one of the most fascinating painters of the modern age, who more than almost any other reflected the social upheavals of his time, not only in his numerous works but also and not least through his extensive correspondence and diaries. He was an observer, a gentleman, a loner and a reflective witness of his age. Perpetually searching for truth, he was a self-critical witness of the times in which he lived. It is especially in his expressive self-portraits that we believe we can get closer to Beckmann’s multi-faceted nature and hence become better able to understand the wide range of metaphors in his multi-faceted oeuvre. This volume by one of the most illustrious Beckmann specialists, Dr. Christiane Zeiller, traces his artistic career and the principal stations of his life, from the years in Berlin and Frankfurt via his exile in Amsterdam und America. The unique Max Beckmann Archives, with its wide-ranging legacy, are currently housed in the Bayerische Staatsgemaldesammlungen in Munich. Material which has not previously been published will be shown in the publication, including private photos and objects from amongst the artist’s personal possessions.