FRANZ MARC AND AUGUST MACKE: 1909–1914

October 4, 2018
- January 21, 2019

“Franz Marc and August Macke: 1909-1914” is an exhibition that explores the life and work of two German artists and the power of their friendship. In the four years prior to Macke’s death in 1914 (Marc himself died in 1916), they exchanged scores of letters, visited each other’s homes, traveled together, and often discussed the development of their work. They shared ideas about art, and through their innovations helped create the movement known as Expressionism in early twentieth-century Germany. The exhibition will focus on Marc and Macke’s artistic relationship, how their lives intersected, and how their art was developed and received during their lifetimes.

Featuring approximately 70 paintings and works on paper, “Franz Marc and August Macke” is comprised of loans from public and private collections worldwide. While Marc has received acclaim in the United States, Macke has not become well known. This presentation at Neue Galerie New York is the first time that Macke’s work will be shown in an American museum exhibition, and the first exhibition in the United States on the relationship between these artists.

“Franz Marc and August Macke: 1909-1914” is organized by the Neue Galerie New York and the Musées d’Orsay et de l’Orangerie, Paris. The curator for the Neue Galerie is independent scholar Vivian Endicott Barnett. After its presentation in New York, the exhibition will travel to Paris, where it will be on view at the Musée de l’Orangerie from March 6 to June 17, 2019. This exhibition is made possible in part by the Neue Galerie President’s Circle."
 

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IN THE NEWS

"It’s hard not to leave “Franz Marc and August Macke: 1909-1914,” an alternately thrilling and dizzying exhibition on the artistic friendship of two important German painters, saddened by the tragic end of both men’s careers."

The New York Times

"Art World Remembers World War I On 100th Anniversary Of Armistice."

Forbes


WATCH

Exhibition Video

Curator Vivian Endicott Barnett brings you inside the world of “Franz Marc and August Macke: 1909–1914.”



Banner images:

Franz Marc (1880-1916), The First Animals/Die ersten Tiere (detail), 1913, gouache and pencil on paper. Private Collection; August Macke (1887-1914), Strollers at the Lake II/Spaziergänger am See II (detail), 1912, oil on canvas. Neue Galerie New York, This work is part of the collection of Estée Lauder and was made available through the generosity of Estée Lauder 

THE SELF-PORTRAIT, FROM SCHIELE TO BECKMANN

February 28, 2019
- June 24, 2019

“The Self-Portrait, from Schiele to Beckmann” is an unprecedented exhibition that examines works primarily from Austria and Germany made between 1900 and 1945. This groundbreaking show is unique in its examination and focus on works of this period. Approximately 70 self-portraits by more than 30 artists—both well-known figures and others who deserve greater recognition—will be united in the presentation, which is comprised of loans from public and private collections worldwide.

Admired for their revelatory nature, self-portraits yield insight into both the appearance and the essence of the artist, in some cases providing almost confessional portrayals, sharing profound insights regarding their self-image as a maker, and their perceived relationship to society. On a more universal level, they can also expose deeper truths about the human condition. During the first four decades of the twentieth century, the self-portrait, a genre that has transcended the ages, reached new heights in Germany and Austria.

Among artists in the Neue Galerie collection, the types of self-portraiture vary widely. Egon Schiele, gazing into a large studio mirror, created an unprecedented number of raw, even shocking self-portraits composed only of his face and body. He stripped away layers of social conventions to expose thoughts and feelings beneath the surface of his skin. Max Beckmann found his stride using an open, brushy style with heavy black outlines, and created some of the greatest self-portraits of the twentieth century; they possess an expressive power that reaches back to the Old Masters. Felix Nussbaum—employing the more realistic style of the Neue Sachlichkeit—reflected the misery of and threat to his life as a persecuted Jew, as well as his personal resolve to record his circumstances faithfully. Some of the most outstanding self-portraits in this exhibition are by women, including Paula Modersohn-Becker, who painted a number of bold, groundbreaking self-portraits, some of which highlighted her pregnancy; and Käthe Kollwitz, who cast an unsparing eye on her own world-weary visage. The best of these works always engage the viewer in a complex and meaningful way.
 

Skip the line with Premium Admission

Purchase the Exhibition Catalogue

Download the Audio Guide


IN THE NEWS

A Familiar Face Expresses a View of the World

The New York Times

“...incisive, beautifully staged exhibition”

 The Wall Street Journal

“A fascinating exhibition... and so directly moving because it is a portrait of an epoch.”

Philippe de Montebello, NYC-ARTS

“German and Austrian artists…channelled their anxiety and existential dread onto the canvas, depicting themselves with ambiguous expressions or in visible distress.”  

The Economist’s 1843 Magazine


WATCH

Exhibition Video

Curator Tobias G. Natter walks you through “The Self-Portrait, from Schiele to Beckmann.”

 

Banner Image: 

Max Beckmann (1884-1950)
Self-Portrait in front of Red Curtain (detail), 1923
Oil on canvas
Private Collection
© 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS),
New York/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn