May 28 through December 11, 2022
A survey of early 20th-century German Expressionist psychological portraits
German artists in the early 20th century worked in a period of social and political crisis marked by military conflict, shifting social class dynamics, and economic upheaval. The psychological impact of these transformations on urban residents was noted by sociologist Georg Simmel in his groundbreaking 1903 essay, “The Metropolis and Mental Life,” where he observed an “intensification of nervous stimulation” in modern life. During the Weimar period, from the end of World War I until the rise of Nazi Germany, German Expressionist artists made haunting psychological portraits that highlighted the fluctuating lives of urban residents. As individuals shifted social roles, the artist acted as a “draftsman in society,” to borrow from the title of Max Beckmann’s work in this exhibition.
Drawn from the extraordinary collection of German Expressionist prints in the Gift of David and Eva Bradford at the Portland Museum of Art, this exhibition surveys the visually stunning portraits made by German artists during this time of unrest. Printmaking in the form of woodcuts, etchings, and lithographs provided an opportunity to both construct and reveal modern masked identities. As a result, these works of art provide insight into the psychological dimensions of a society in crisis, with strong resonances to our own time.
Interpretive materials in this exhibition were developed with the support of Professor Amanda Lilleston, Visiting Assistant Professor of Art at Colby College.