An exhibition opening at Frankfurt's Städel Museum focuses on Max Beckmann's drawings, featuring 80 works that trace the emergence of his hard-edged signature style. Curated by Regina Freyberger, Stephan von Wiese, and Hedda Finke, the show spans from before World War I to the artist's final years in the US, including loans from major collections. It highlights how Beckmann's drawing evolved from preparatory studies to autonomous artworks, with key pieces like a 1928 portrait of his wife Quappi and the eerie watercolor 'The Murder' (1933).
The exhibition matters because it challenges the common perception of Beckmann as solely a painter, repositioning drawing as central to his artistic development. By showcasing the full arc of his draftsmanship—from early Post-Impressionist influences through wartime trauma, Nazi persecution, and American exile—the show offers a fresh lens on a major 20th-century artist. It also coincides with the publication of the first two volumes of a catalogue raisonné of Beckmann's drawings, providing new scholarly resources.