Catalogue information
Max Beckman (1884-1950), who spent from 1937 to '47 in Amsterdam and later in America, has become famous for his shocking portraits that paint the individual in an expressive business style with thick contours and harsh contrasts. His subjects are gloomy, symbolically charged and refer to the dark ages. Later his style softened; cabaret life is gaining access. The main thing remains the (self) analyzing portraits in various guises, from king to clown, in which the existence of 20th-century man is captured and linked to the general human tragedy. This rich, supercooled expression became a source of inspiration, including in pop art. The author, a specialist, has managed to describe the work vividly by acquiring biographical and historical facts and details with a chronological structure with an emphasis on the portraits and symbolism. A conquering monograph in English, richly illustrated in black and white and in color.
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