Max Beckmann and the Self (Pegasus Library) [Paperback]

Sister Wendy Beckett (Author)

Book Description

Series: Pegasus Library | Publication Date: March 2003

As original as he was prolific, German artist Max Beckmann produced nearly a thousand works in a career that spanned two world wars. This volume uses Beckmann's own words as an introduction to the artist's creative expression and his unwavering search for the self. Beckmann struggled throughout his life to define his identity through his paintings. He started out as an ambitious and self-confident young artist, went through a horrific stint as a medical orderly in World War I, and then became an exile in Holland and the United States. Through her careful analyses of more than 50 works, Sister Wendy illuminates Beckmann's use of symbolism as well as the strong thematic strains of his paintings and triptychs. The artist's bold use of colour and line are in evidence in numerous full-colour reproductions, and an extensive biography as well as several photographs offer additional insight into this strong creative presence.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Prestel Publishing (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3791328778
• ISBN-13: 978-3791328775
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,125,645 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #29 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Arts & Photography > Art > Art History > Criticism

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4.0 out of 5 stars Jewish Intergroup Relations in the Era of McCarthy and the Freedom Rides, January 20, 2009

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P. Allen Krause (Mission Viejo, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Though occasionally repetitious, Svonkin's book does a very good job recreating the challenges faced by the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, and the American Jewish Congress in post-war (WWII) America. These agencies developed different strategies to deal with anti-Semitism, but then expanded to a concern for prejudice against other groups, particularly African-Americans during the years of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. An interesting and informative read which reflects fine scholarship.