Max Klinger

Max Klinger, who worked as a painter, sculptor and graphic artist, is considered an important representative of Symbolism. Born in Leipzig in 1857, his artistic path led him first to Karlsruhe, where he also made a name for himself as a pianist. From 1875 Klinger studied at the Prussian Academy of Arts in Berlin, where he discovered the realist Adolph Menzel as an artistic model. After successfully completing his studies, Klinger took part in his first exhibitions in Berlin, where his main focus at that time was on pen and ink drawings. One example of this is "The Action": an ice skater bends down after a glove that a lady skating in front of him had lost.

Klinger was considered a reclusive artist, regardless of whether he lived in Berlin, Brussels or Paris. Theoretically, he dealt extensively with Darwin's theories. Painterly, the Spanish Francisco de Goya and the French caricaturist Daumier as well as the Symbolist Pauvis de Chavannes were great models for him. In Klinger's own work, the Symbolist element can be clearly recognized. The unconscious, the fantastic, the decorative and the landscape of the soul are evident in his series "Dead Mother" or "The Plague". Numerous journeys took Klinger to Spain, Italy, England, Greece and the Netherlands. An encounter with Rodin in 1900 was formative.

Max Klinger is considered a great sculptor. Multicoloured stone, life-size sculptures and vividness were important to him. "Summer Landscape" and "Rock Ravine", on the other hand, prove that Klinger was also a master of delicate tones. Decay and beauty are closely related in the Symbolists' work. Munch, Barlach, Beckmann: all referred to Klinger, who was not only a gifted graphic artist and courageous sculptor, but also an interested intellectual.