Max Liebermann

Exhibition exclusively with exhibits from the Ullstein Collection in the Liebermann Villa on Wannsee
March 25, 2023 to July 03, 2023

Elegant in a suit, legs crossed, with hat, in profile, with dachshund Nicki in the Wannsee garden or exhausted smoking after a meeting at the Prussian Academy of Arts: The photo collection of the historic and renowned Berlin publisher Ullstein Verlag holds dozens of portraits of the painter Max Liebermann (1847-1935) and his family. He was portrayed many times and with pleasure during his lifetime. The portraits of today's well-known and lesser-known photographers were widely published in Ullstein Verlag's numerous publications such as Der Querschnitt, Die Dame, UHU and Zeitbilder.

The core of our upcoming exhibition is formed by photo-historically revealing original prints, including those of Yva, Nicola Perscheid, Frieda Riess, and Erich Salomon, which are now kept in the Ullstein Collection at ullstein bild in Berlin. They bear witness to Liebermann's many encounters with fifteen trend-setting photographers in the period from 1905 to 1932. The photo artists met the famous contemporary witness, who knew how to put himself in the limelight to great public effect. But some of their images show a completely different Liebermann and surprise us with their intimacy and directness. Who were the artists who were allowed to photograph Max Liebermann? How did the commissions come about and what significance did the photographic portraits of the famous Max Liebermann have for the professional reputation of the photographers? Like the history of Ullstein Verlag, some of the biographies presented in the exhibition are closely linked to persecution, exile, resistance, and political adaptation.

The exhibition takes place in cooperation with ullstein bild Berlin.

(Text: Liebermann Villa, Berlin)

The corresponding dossier can be found at ullstein bild.