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| The Terrace at the Restaurant Jacob in Nienstedten on the Elbe, Max Liebermann, 1902 |
Max Liebermann was a German artist, born in Berlin in 1847, the son of a wealthy industrialist. As with many artists, his early studies were in non-artistic fields. Once his talent started to emerge, his parents very reluctantly his art studies, but they never truly approved of his vocation. For many years, it was his brother who acted as his primary patron.
Studying under Carl Steffeck and at the Weimar Art School, his early realistic works were not well received. He moved to Barbizon, France and continued to work on his art, becoming acquainted with the works of many of the luminaries of the Barbizon School.
In 1878, Liebermann return to Germany, winding up in Berlin in 1884. For many years, he spent summers in the Netherlands, painting his favorite subject, the poor. (I’m unsure if the painting used as my illustration today is reflective of that subject, but I like it, so in it goes.) He is said to have painted “realistically and unsentimentally working people, without condescending pity or romanticism, but also without denouncing. In his motifs he recognizes the natural dignity and does not have to gloss over anything.“
During the Franco-Prussian war, Lieberman was turned down for service because of a poorly-healed injury. Instead, he served as a medic for the Order of St. John near Metz.
Around 1890 he was becoming increasingly influenced by Impressionists such as Manet and Dega. In 1920, he was elected the president of the Prussian Academy of Arts. As a Jew, he was forced to resign by the Nazi regime in 1932. He died in his sleep in Berlin in 1935.
Note: Fine Art Tuesday was started by Eaton Rapids Joe in memory of Ol’ Remus, late proprietor of the Woodpile Report.
