Max Pechstein. An Adventure into Expressionism

Recognised by many contemporaries as the foremost member of the Brücke group of art ists, Max Pechstein played a pivotal role in the German avant-garde during the early decades of the 20th century. He was the first Expressionist to be admitted to the Prussian Academy of Arts. His importance for modern art stems above all from his seminal role in the emergence of German Expressionism.

The retrospective held at Lentos features important works from various creative periods. In addition to Dresden and Berlin, the Baltic coast also represented an important place of work and inspiration. In 1913, the Fritz Gurlitt art salon in Berlin organised Pechstein’s first major solo exhibition. Wolfgang Gurlitt was also instrumental in sponsoring Pechstein’s voyage to the South Seas, where he sought a life in harmony with nature on the Palau Islands, an endeavour that came to an end with the outbreak of the First World War. 

After the war, Pechstein rediscovered his creative energy in Berlin. In 1937, over 500 of his works were confiscated as part of the ​“Degenerate Art” campaign. In the post-war period, he earned recognition, but also criticism. Numerous South Sea motifs, recreated from memory, were produced during this late phase of his artistic career. Over 100 works, including many seascapes of the Baltic and South Seas, are on display for the very first time in Austria at Lentos. One of the focal points of the exhibition is Pechstein’s friendship with Wolfgang Gurlitt, the founder of the precursor to the Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz.