Max Beckmann (German, 1884–1950), Self-Portrait with Bowler, 1921. Drypoint, 12 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. McNay Art Museum, Gift of the Friends of the McNay, 1966.4 © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.
The Crocker Art Museum is pleased to announce A Graphic Art: German Expressionist Prints from the McNay Art Museum and the Bronston Collection, on view from February 5 through May 7, 2023. Consisting of prints by 15 artists, as well as watercolors, painting, and sculpture, A Graphic Art provides a view into a world of artistic ferment and unrelenting change that resonates in the art of today.
The early 20th century was a time of innovation in German-speaking lands. The horrors of the first World War and the chaos in its wake propelled a new examination of culture and, with it, art. Hyperinflation early in the decade wiped out savings, political conflict plagued the new Weimar Republic, and social bonds changed and weakened. Against this backdrop, an extremely lively urban artistic world continued to innovate.
Artists had begun to move away from the academic tradition and new, international movements such as Art Nouveau were reflected in the various Sezession groups. Rebelling even against these avant-gardes, other artists experimented with rough, jarring colors and styles, distortions of form that expressed emotion, and often gritty modern subjects. Works from Max Beckmann, Heinrich Campendonk, Erich Heckel, Georg Grosz, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Käthe Kollwitz, Franz Marc, and others demonstrate many of these qualities.
A Graphic Art exemplifies many of the core themes explored by German Expressionist artists and includes works from three key schools within the movement, Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), Die Brucke (The Bridge), and Die Neue Sachlichkeit (The New Objectivity). Several ancient printmaking techniques experienced a revival under the Expressionists, while artists also invented new techniques and adapted others once neglected to new, unexpected uses. Included in the exhibition are examples of woodcut, soft ground etching, drypoint, and other printmaking methods.
With graphic styles and a critical stance towards society, Expressionist art resonated with the public, and thanks to the reproducibility inherent in the medium, reached an ever-wider audience.
Not this exhibition, but if you are interested:
