Paula Modersohn-Becker: A Life in Art

by Uwe M. Schneede

A highly illustrated critical biography of groundbreaking artist Paula Modersohn-Becker, harbinger of the modernist movement.  Nineteenth-century German artist Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876-1907) defied every convention of an artist at the she was a professional female artist, she painted everyday scenes of women’s life and self-portraits―including during her pregnancy―and she used a rich, earthy palette, including many pinks. In this accessible introduction to the artist, art historian Uwe M. Schneede tells the story of how Modersohn-Becker became one of the most important artists of the modern movement. Schneede conducts a thorough visual analysis of Modersohn-Becker’s paintings, examining how she painted women, including herself, in a way that had not been seen before and unpacking why her images have remained so significant. This study is paired with a revealing discussion of the artist’s short life, from her early classes at the Association of Berlin Women Artists to creating the first-known female nude self-portraits. Featuring rarely seen images from Modersohn-Becker’s archive, as well as fascinating insight into her life and work, Paula Modersohn-Becker presents a welcome opportunity to get to know this key modern artist.  120 color illustrations

Genres: Art

240 pages, Hardcover

Published January 17, 2023

Reviews

[Suzanne Pender · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I see a painting by Paula Modersohn-Becker it stops me in my tracks. There is something so brave, original and raw about the works. This, added to the fact that the artist with a vast body of work depicting unidealized views of women’s bodies and children, died in 1907 at the young age of 31, after complications from childbirth, make her all the more fascinating. The book has plenty of illustrations and covers her time at Worpseweede artist colony (where her genius was unappreciated) outside of her home town of Bremen, her time absorbing the inspiration of Paris, including her friendship with Rilke and being inspired by Rodin and Gauguin and Picasso, and her desire to be an independent woman at a time that opportunities where severely limited. Loved visiting her museum in Bremen and this book filled in many blanks. A great read for any fan of her work and a glimpse into the creative communities at the time.

[Alan Fitzgerald-Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting yet rather pedantic account of this artist’s life and work, with good chronology and excellent reproductions. How the artist was single-minded at a time that few women were able to be so dedicated to their art and what would have been created if she was not so cruelly snatched from this life so young. The images of goldfish live on in Matisse’s paintings almost a decade later.

[Reinis Karlsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

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