The Trapeze

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The Trapeze

Artist Max Beckmann German, 1884-1950

Date1923

DimensionsPainting: 77 3/8 × 33 1/8 in. (196.5 × 84.1 cm)
Frame: 89 3/4 × 46 1/4 × 3 1/4 in. (228 × 117.5 × 8.3 cm)

Mediumoil on canvas

ClassificationPaintings

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1983.20

Not on View

Collections

Paintings

Published References

The artist's MS list of works: Frankfurt, 1923; Das Trapez. 1 April 1922 begonnen, 16 Mai 1923 beendet. Baron von Simolin.

Gläser, C., J. Meier-Graefe, W. Fraenger, and W. Hausenstein, Max Beckmann, 1924, p. 78, fig. 51.

Glaser, C., "Max Beckmann: Zu der Ausstellung bei Paul Cassirer," Berliner Börsen-Kurier, January 6, 1924.

Reifenberg, B., "Die Kunst Max Beckmanns. Zur Ausstellung im Frankfurt Kunstverein," Frankfurt Zeitung, October 19, 1924.

Landau, R., Der unbestechliche Minos, Hamburg, 1925, repr. p. 60.

Hausenstein, W., Meister und Werke, Munich, 1930.

Simon, H., Max Beckmann; Junge Kunst, vol. 56, Leipzig, 1930, fig. 7.

Neumann, I. B., and G. Franke, Max Beckmann; The Art Lover Library, vol. 5, Munich and New York, 1931, repr. p. 23 (gallery view of 1930 Basel exhibition).

Soupault, P., "Max Beckmann," La Renaissance, 14, 1931, p. 99.

Rathbone, P. T., introduction to catalogue of Max Beckmann exhibition, City Art Museum of St. Louis, 1948, pp. 30-31, 34.

Reifenberg, B. and W. Hausenstein, Max Beckmann, Munich, 1949, p. 20, no. 190, repr. p. 34.

Thwaites, J. A., "Max Beckmann, Notes for an Evaluation," Art Quarterly, 14, 1951, p. 276, repr.

Busch, G., Max Beckmann, Eine Einführung, Munich, 1960, pp. 59, 60, 64, fig. 51, p. 128.

Haftmann, W., Painting in the Twentieth Century, New York, 1960, repr. p. 297; rev. ed. 1965, fig. 670, p. 275.

Schmidt, D., ed. Briefe an Günther Franke, Porträt eines deutschen Kunsthandlers, Cologne, 1970, p. 39.

Kessler, C., Max Beckmann's Triptychs, Cambridge (MA), 1970, pp. 2, 162.

Fischer, F. W., Max Beckmann, Symbol und Weltbild, Munich, 1972, p. 46 ff, repr.

Göpel, E. and B. Göpel, Max Beckmann, Katalog der Gemälde, Bern, 1976, I, p. 161, no. 219, 520; II, pl. 79.

Lackner, S., Max Beckmann, New York, 1977, p. 20.

"Calendar," Dialogue, July/August 1983, repr. p. 24.

Burlington, vol. 125, no. 969, December 1983, repr. 790.

"La chronique des arts," Gazette Des Beaux Arts, vol. 103, no. 1382, March 1984, no. 224, repr. p. 36.

Gallwitz, Klaus, Max Beckmann in Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, 1984, p. 56, repr. (col.) p. 57.

Schulz-Hoffman, Carla, Max Beckmann, "Der Maler," Munich, 1991, p. 58, Abb. 21 (col.).

Kujer, Susanne, Hereinspaziert... Artisten, Clowns und Akrobaten, Luzern, 1993, p. 32, repr. (col.).

Hahn, Beth, "TMA Highlight: Max Beckmann (1884-1950)," Montage, vol. 2, no. 4, May 1994, p. 5, repr.

The Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo Treasures, Toledo, 1995, p. 170, repr. (col.).

Taylor, Bradley L., "The effect of surrogation on viewer response to expressional qualities in works of art," unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Michigan, 2001, pl. M2, p. 183.

Bezzola, Tobia and Cornelia Homburg, eds., Max Beckmann and Paris: Matisse, Picasso, Braque, Léger, Rouault, St. Louis, Saint Louis Art Museum [and others], 1998, p. 190, repr. p. 191.

Reich, Paula, Toledo Museum of Art: Map and Guide, London, Scala, 2005, p. 51, repr. (col.).

Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo Museum of Art Masterworks, Toledo, 2009, p. 303, repr. (col.).

Reich, Paula, Toledo Museum of Art: Map and Guide, London, Scala, 2009, p. 51, repr. (col.)

Strecker, Dr. Jacqueline, The Mad Square: Modernity in German Art 1910-1937 New South Wales, 2011, p. 202-3.30, repr. p.190, p.203.

Cooper, Harry et al., Philip Guston Now, Washington D.C., National Gallery of Art, 2020, p. 29, repr. (col.) fig. 11.

Exhibition History

Berlin, Paul Cassirer, Max Beckmann, 1924.

Vienna, Secession, Internationale Kunstaustellung, 1924, no. 2.

Frankfurt, Kunstverein, Austellung Max Beckmann, no. 13.

Zurich, Kunsthaus, Internationale Kunstaustellung, 1925, no. 32.

Munich, Glaspalast, I., Allgemeine Kunst-Austellung Neue Secession, no. 210, pl. 100 (as Grosses Trapez).

Dresden, Akademie der Kunste, Werke deutscher Kunstler, no. 110.

Mannheim, Stadtische Kunsthalle, Max Beckmann, 1928, no. 67.

Berlin, Galerie Alfred Flechtheim, Max Beckmann, 1928, no. 17.

Munich, Graphisches Kabinett Leitung Gunther Franke, Max Beckmann, 1928, no. 6.

Stuttgart, Kunsthaus Schaller, Max Beckmann, 1928.

Braunschweig, Freunder junger Kunst, Max Beckmann, 1930.

Basel, Kunsthalle, Max Beckmann, 1930, no. 33, repr.

Brussels, Galerie Le Centaure, Max Beckmann, 1931, no. 2.

Paris, Galerie de la Renaissance, Max Beckmann, 1931, no. 4.

Munich, Günther Franke, Max Beckmann, 1946, no. 77.

Munich, Haus der Kunst, Max Beckmann zum Gedachtnis, 1951, no. 36.

Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, Max Beckmann, 1951, no. 7.

Lucerne, Kunstmuseum, Deutsche Kunst Meisterwerke des 20. Jahrhunderts, 1953, no. 229, repr.

Zurich, Kunsthaus, Max Beckmann, 1955, no. 15, repr.

Basel, Kunsthalle, Max Beckmann, 1956, no. 12, repr.

The Hague, Gemeente Museum, Max Beckmann, 1956, no. 10, repr.

Kansas City, Nelson Gallery, Points of View in Modern Painting, 1957, no. 16.

St. Louis, St. Louis University, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Morton D. May, 1960, no. 45, repr.

Denver, Denver Art Museum, German Expressionist Paintings from the May Collection, 1960, no. 53, repr.

Kassel, Documenta III, 1964, p. 6, no. 1, repr.

Munich, Haus der Kunst, Max Beckmann, 1968, no. 19, repr.

Paris, Musee Nationale d'Art Moderne, Max Beckmann, 1968, no. 19, repr.

Bremen, Kunsthalle, Deutsche Expressionisten aus der Sammlung Morton D. May, 1969, no. 5.

New York, Marlborough-Gerson Gallery, The Morton D. May Collection of 20th Century German Masters, 1970, no. 11, repr.

Frankfurt am Main, Städelschen Kunstinstitut, Max Beckmann: Frankfurt 1915-1933, 1983, no. 25, p. 96, repr. (col.) p. 99.

Munich, Haus der Kunst; Berlin, Nationalgalerie; St. Louis, St. Louis Art Museum; Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Max Beckmann: Retrospective, 1984-1985, no. 33, pp. 23, 24, 140, 220, 221, repr. (col.).

Venice, Palazzo Grassi, German Expressionism: Art and Society, 1997, cat. 102, repr. p. 284. (col.).Beckmann, 2002-2003, repr. (col.) p. 161, fig. 2, p. 271.

Cologne, Museum Ludwig, Max Beckmann - Fernand Léger: unerwartete Begegnungen, May 20 - August 28, 2005, no. 14, pp. 77, 114, repr. (col.) p. 42.

Sydney, Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales; Melbourne, Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, The Mad Square: Modernity in German Art 1910-1938, August 5, 2011-March 4, 2012, p. 202-203, 301, repr. (col.), p. 203, repr. (col. det.), p. 190.

Toledo, Toledo Museum of Art, The Great War: Art on the Frontline, Jul. 25-Oct. 19, 2014. New York, NY, Neue Galerie, Max Beckmann: Formative Years: 1915-1925, October 5, 2023 - January 15, 2024.

Label TextWe must participate to the full in the adversities to come. We must abandon our hearts and nerves to the horrifying cry of pain of poor, misled humanity…This is the only way to at least partially motivate our really quite superfluous existence. —Max Beckmann The horrors of World War I (1914–18) had a profound effect on German artist Max Beckmann. He had found success before 1914 painting heroic religious and mythological compositions, but after serving as a medical orderly on the Western Front and suffering a bout of severe mental distress, his work changed dramatically. Using acid colors and compressed space, he explored the disaffected souls performing in the “carnival” of life in a post-war Germany suffering from catastrophic inflation, violent civil uprisings, and the social crisis of a “lost generation” traumatized by the war. Beckmann often depicted performers from the circus and cabaret—who hide behind masks and greasepaint—to express the meaninglessness of human behavior. The upside-down figure at top left who looks out at the viewer, his face made up in clown paint, is likely a self-portrait of the artist, who implicates himself in this “superfluous existence.”