DOI Heft:
No. 137 (August, 1904)
DOI Artikel:Lütticke, A. E.: The work of Max Liebermann
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19882#0228
Max Liebermann
Like all Impressionists he loves light and atmo-
spheric effects combined with simplicity, and has a
total disregard for idealising.
Son of a rich manufacturer, Liebermann was
born in Berlin on July 20, 1847. On leaving
school, in the year 1863, he entered the University
by his father's wish, although, having shown a
special talent for drawing, he had long desired to
study art. However, he was not to be baulked,
but following his own instincts he joined, at first
secretly, the Berlin Art Academy, and also attended
classes at the Steffecke Studios. About eighteen
months later his talent was recognised by his
teachers, and his father allowed him to follow his
own inclination and devote his time solely to the
study of art. At the age of twenty-one he went to
Weimar, attending the School of Art in that town
until 1873 ; but during these early years, when he
was under Thumann and Pauwels, his art was
very little influenced by them, whereas later, the
Belgian portrait and animal painter, Charles Verlat,
made a deep impression on the young artist.
Liebermann studied also under Munkaczy, Daubigny,
Millet, and Corot, spending a few years in Paris
and Munich before finally returning to Berlin in
the year 1884. Probably Millet, Munkaczy and
Courbet were the three masters who had the
greatest influence on his art, the works of the two
latter, exhibited in 1869, revealing that which he
himself had long been striving to attain. A
great admirer of Courbet's landscapes, which were
termed commonplace by the multitude, and
Munkaczy's religious scenes appealing to his
artistic tastes, he began for the first time to feel
interested in modern painting. A large work,
produced about 1873, and later on purchased for
the Berlin National Gallery, shows perhaps, more
than any other the result of this influence. It
represents a number of people plucking geese, and
called forth at the time a perfect storm of indig-
nation. Without any attempt at modifying the
heavy, dull scene, or relieving the monotony pro-
duced by a group of poor folk sitting in a
barn, occupied with their prosaic work, the
artist depicted on the canvas an actuality
which was grand in its conception, so true to
nature, and showing life from its hard side. The
dull, gloomy colouring also gave rise to comment,
"ON THE WAY HOME'
204
BY MAX LIEBERMANN
Like all Impressionists he loves light and atmo-
spheric effects combined with simplicity, and has a
total disregard for idealising.
Son of a rich manufacturer, Liebermann was
born in Berlin on July 20, 1847. On leaving
school, in the year 1863, he entered the University
by his father's wish, although, having shown a
special talent for drawing, he had long desired to
study art. However, he was not to be baulked,
but following his own instincts he joined, at first
secretly, the Berlin Art Academy, and also attended
classes at the Steffecke Studios. About eighteen
months later his talent was recognised by his
teachers, and his father allowed him to follow his
own inclination and devote his time solely to the
study of art. At the age of twenty-one he went to
Weimar, attending the School of Art in that town
until 1873 ; but during these early years, when he
was under Thumann and Pauwels, his art was
very little influenced by them, whereas later, the
Belgian portrait and animal painter, Charles Verlat,
made a deep impression on the young artist.
Liebermann studied also under Munkaczy, Daubigny,
Millet, and Corot, spending a few years in Paris
and Munich before finally returning to Berlin in
the year 1884. Probably Millet, Munkaczy and
Courbet were the three masters who had the
greatest influence on his art, the works of the two
latter, exhibited in 1869, revealing that which he
himself had long been striving to attain. A
great admirer of Courbet's landscapes, which were
termed commonplace by the multitude, and
Munkaczy's religious scenes appealing to his
artistic tastes, he began for the first time to feel
interested in modern painting. A large work,
produced about 1873, and later on purchased for
the Berlin National Gallery, shows perhaps, more
than any other the result of this influence. It
represents a number of people plucking geese, and
called forth at the time a perfect storm of indig-
nation. Without any attempt at modifying the
heavy, dull scene, or relieving the monotony pro-
duced by a group of poor folk sitting in a
barn, occupied with their prosaic work, the
artist depicted on the canvas an actuality
which was grand in its conception, so true to
nature, and showing life from its hard side. The
dull, gloomy colouring also gave rise to comment,
"ON THE WAY HOME'
204
BY MAX LIEBERMANN