Beckmann

Today, the Städel Museum owns one of the most important Beckmann collections in the world. His works have been collected and researched for over 100 years. In winter 2025, the Städel Museum is now focusing on the draughtsman Max Beckmann (1884-1950). Around 80 works - many of which are on public display for the first time - document the development of his drawings from early sketches to late pictorial masterpieces.

About the exhibition

Drawing was existential for Beckmann and accompanied him through all of his creative phases. In drawing, he formed his personal view of the world, creating works in pencil, charcoal, chalk and pastel that transformed fleeting impressions into meaningful, multi-layered compositions. The exhibition therefore shows a Beckmann of great intensity and unbridled creativity. Selected paintings and color works on paper also provide insights into the artistic working process and the interplay of the various media.

The occasion for the exhibition is a major desideratum in Beckmann research: the publication of the three-volume catalog raisonné of Beckmann's drawings, compiled by Hedda Finke and Stephan von Wiese. In addition to drawings from the Städel Museum's collection, the exhibition is based in particular on loans from renowned international museums and private collections. This major special exhibition invites visitors to rediscover one of the most important artists of the 20th century through hitherto little-known facets of his work.