author
Max Liebermann
1847–1935
A leading force in German Impressionism, he brought everyday life, gardens, beaches, and city scenes to the canvas with unusual freshness. His career also made him a central figure in Berlin’s modern art world at a time of major cultural change.
1 Audiobook
Die Phantasie in der Malerei
by Max Liebermann
About the author
Born in Berlin in 1847, Max Liebermann became one of the most important painters and printmakers associated with German Impressionism. Early in his career, he was known for unsentimental scenes of workers and ordinary people; later, his paintings of parks, gardens, riders, and seaside life grew lighter and more atmospheric while keeping a sharp eye for real experience.
Liebermann was not only a major artist but also an influential public figure in the arts. He helped shape modern painting in Berlin and is widely linked with the Berlin Secession, the movement that pushed back against more conservative academic tastes. His long career connected German art to broader European developments, especially French Impressionism, while still feeling distinctly his own.
He died in Berlin in 1935. Today, he is remembered both for the calm beauty of his paintings and for the role he played in opening German art to modern ideas.