Max Liebermann is one of the central pioneers of German Impressionism. After studying in Weimar and spending formative periods in Paris and the Netherlands, he developed a light, dynamic style of painting in the 1880s that makes his oeuvre unmistakable. As president of the Berlin Secession, he played a decisive role in shaping the transition from 19th-century art to modernism. The charcoal drawing “Dutch Mother with Child”(1900) demonstrates Liebermann’s sensitive sense of intimacy: with minimal means, he unfolds a calm, intimate scene in which the delicate lines and finely modulated shadows capture the timeless dignity of everyday life. It is noteworthy that there is another charcoal drawing on the reverse side—a rare testimony to his spontaneous, immediate working style and his mastery of drawing.
Consigned by Andrea Eichholz, in memory of Max Liebermann