Masterworks of German Expressionism

Nov 14, 2002–Apr 14, 2003

MoMA

Max Pechstein. Dancers (Pair of Dancers). 1909. Lithograph, 20 7/8 × 16 15/16″ (53 × 43 cm). Publisher and printer: the artist, Berlin. Edition: unique impression of the second (final) state. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Scott Sassa Fund, The Philip and Lynn Straus Foundation Fund, Richard A. Epstein Fund, Miles O. Epstein Fund, Sarah C. Epstein Fund, Nelson Blitz Fund, and Frances Keech Fund

This exhibition of approximately twenty prints highlights the work of several artists who participated in the German Expressionist movement during the first quarter of the twentieth century. It includes examples by members of the Expressionist group Brücke, such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Emil Nolde, and Max Pechstein, who sought to heighten the emotional impact of their subjects through sharp distortions of form and color. Also featured are works by artists active after World War I, such as Max Beckmann and Käthe Kollwitz, who found that the bold, graphic use of black-and-white printmaking perfectly suited their stark, socially critical imagery. Printmaking was of central importance to the Expressionists, as the artists used it to communicate their ideas to the broadest possible audience. The installation, which includes several recent acquisitions, is drawn entirely from the Museum’s exceptionally strong collection of German Expressionist prints and illustrated books.

Organized by Starr Figura, Assistant Curator, Department of Prints and Illustrated Books.

Publication

  • Press release 2 pages

Artists

Licensing

If you would like to reproduce an image of a work of art in MoMA’s collection, or an image of a MoMA publication or archival material (including installation views, checklists, and press releases), please contact Art Resource (publication in North America) or Scala Archives (publication in all other geographic locations).

MoMA licenses archival audio and select out of copyright film clips from our film collection. At this time, MoMA produced video cannot be licensed by MoMA/Scala. All requests to license archival audio or out of copyright film clips should be addressed to Scala Archives at [email protected]. Motion picture film stills cannot be licensed by MoMA/Scala. For access to motion picture film stills for research purposes, please contact the Film Study Center at [email protected]. For more information about film loans and our Circulating Film and Video Library, please visit https://www.moma.org/research/circulating-film.

If you would like to reproduce text from a MoMA publication, please email [email protected]. If you would like to publish text from MoMA’s archival materials, please fill out this permission form and send to [email protected].

Feedback

This record is a work in progress. If you have additional information or spotted an error, please send feedback to [email protected].