In his still lifes, Max Beckmann juxtaposed vitality with death, permanence with ephemerality. Featuring nearly eighty paintings and watercolours, this volume covers a half-century of the artist's forays into the genre. The still life runs like a golden thread through every stage of his creative life. Images of skulls, dying flowers and extinguished candles populate these masterful works, which draw on the tradition of the Old Masters. At the same time, Beckmann's still lifes are a celebration of colour and form, materiality and textures. Skillfully Beckmann plays with various levels of reality and with the inclusion of figures, landscapes or self-portraits into his still lifes he creates fascinating overlaps with other genres. The beautifully reproduced works are luminous on the page, allowing readers to appreciate Beckmann's use of iridescent colour and bold lines. Together they provide a unique perspective on Beckmann's development as an artist, as well as a rich exploration into a lesser known aspect of the modern master's oeuvre. AUTHOR: Karin Schick is Head of the Department of Modern Art at the Hamburger Kunsthalle, Germany. Hubertus Gassner is Director of the Hamburger Kunsthalle, Germany. 150 colour illustrations
