1847 -1935 · Berlin, Paris, Netherlands and German Impressionism

From social naturalism to gardens bathed in light, Max Liebermann embodies the decisive transition from German painting to impressionism and modernity.

Max Liebermann was born in Berlin in 1847 into a wealthy Jewish family and died there in 1935. Trained in Weimar, he stayed in Paris, discovered Millet and the Barbizon school, then worked regularly in the Netherlands. His first works were devoted to daily work: peasants, workers, orphans and retirement homes were observed without sentimental anecdote, with calm dignity and precise attention to gestures. Women plucking geese belong to this naturalist period, while The Farmer and the Cow and Altmännerhaus in Amsterdam extend his interest in rural life and Dutch institutions. In the 1890s, under the influence of Manet, Degas and the French impressionism that he collected, his palette became clearer and his touch became freer. Bourgeois leisure activities, horsemen, tennis players, walkers and gardens gradually replaced work scenes. Founder then president of the Berlin Secession from 1898, Liebermann played a major role in the acceptance of modern art in Germany. He then chaired the Prussian Academy of Arts and became one of the central personalities of the Weimar Republic. He then chaired the Prussian Academy of Arts and became one of the central personalities of the Weimar Republic. He then chaired the Prussian Academy of Arts and became one of the central personalities of the Weimar Republic. He then chaired the Prussian Academy of Arts and became one of the central personalities of the Weimar Republic. His late self-portraits affirmed a lucid look and a stripped-down painting. The copy of La Bohemienne after Frans Hals recalls his constant dialogue with Dutch masters. From there a dark construction from the beginning to the vibrant light of his Wannsee garden, his work links social observation, tradition and modernity. The "Max Liebermann" selection notably compares Altmännerhaus in Amsterdam and The Farmer and the Cow. His reading favors the story.

Max Liebermann observes work and leisure with the same gravity: the light changes, but the dignity of the gesture remains at the center of the painting.