After Hitler’s assumption of power in 1933, Beckmann lost his teaching position at the Städelschule in Frankfurt and was forced to retreat into private life. His painting Journey on the Fish is the recognition of the 50-year-old that his destiny was now inevitably bound to that of his second wife Quappi. The doubling of the motifs - fish, persons, and masks (of which one shows Beckmanns profile, the other that of Quappi) - captures the theme of the linked pair. Joined in unity with two fish, the couple seems to stumble towards an abyss, although it is not clear whether they are headed for a black seashore or a dark chasm. The fish played a significant role in Beckmann’s work - as a symbol of phallus, fertility and animal nature. In this painting, the fish may be seen as the couple’s rescuer, leading them to new shores. The work is indicative of Beckmanns life circumstances at the time and a hint of his later emigration. more: weimarart.blogspot/2010/08/max-beckmanns-journey-on-fish.html Painted in Berlin. Max Beckmann Journey on the Fish 1934 Oil on canvas 134.5 x 115.5 cm Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, Germany
Posted on: Thu, 08 May 2014 05:31:01 +0000
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