Max Beckmann

Famed for his self portraits, which rival Rembrandt and Picasso for intensity of conception and scrutiny, Max Beckmann (1884-1950) towers over German painting of the first half of the twentieth century, providing German modernism with one of its most personal visions and also inspiring a subsequent generation of American painters (Philip Guston, Nathan Oliveira). Now, Hatje Cantz presents this luxurious catalogue raisonn of Beckmann's 54 sketchbooks--the first time they have been published in their entirety. Beckmann used these sketchbooks throughout his active career, which spans the period between 1899 and his death in 1950. Their more than 1,300 pages (plus nearly 100 single sheets that have now been assigned to their original sketchbooks) are all reproduced here and annotated with texts elucidating themes and composition methods. This catalogue raisonn provides revelatory information and insight into Beckmann's process as a painter.