Art Institute of Chicago

Bathers

Max Beckmann · 1928

Provenance

Ownership history

The artist, from 1928 [in numerous exhibitions between 1929 and 1932, including at Galerie Alfred Flechtheim, Berlin; Guenther Franke, Graphisches Kabinett, Munich; the Basel and Zurich museums; and Akademie der Kuenst Berlin in 1929, 1930, 1931 and 1932; for the Basel 1930 exhibition, the work was loaned via the Graphisches Kabinett in Munich, Basel Staatsarchiv]. Guenther Franke, Graphisches Kabinett , Munich, by 1946 [1946 pamphlet, Beckmann Foundation, BSTGS, Munich]. Sold by Allan Frumkin, Chicago, to Mr. and Mrs. Stanley M. Freehling, Chicago [interview with Freehling on June 8, 2018, notes in curatorial object file]; given as a partial gift to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1964; given in full to the Art Institute of Chicago, 2008.

Recorded by Art Institute of Chicago.

Exhibitions

Berlin, Galerie Alfred Flechtheim, "Max Beckmann: Neue Gemälde und Zeichnungen," Jan. 12-31, 1929, cat. 22.
Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurter Kunstverein, “Max Beckmann,” Oct. 26-Nov. 20, 1929, cat. 53.
Munich, Graphisches Kabinett (Günther Franke), “Max Beckmann,” July 1930, cat. 21.
Kunsthalle Basel, “Max Beckmann,” Aug. 3-31, 1930, cat. 104, p. 13; also Kunsthaus Zürich, Sept. 6-Oct. 5, 1930, cat. 88, p. 9.
Berlin, Preussischen Akademie der Künste, “Frühjahrs-Ausstellung,” Apr.-May 1931, cat. 44, p. 4.
Berlin, Galerie Alfred Flechtheim, "Max Beckmann,” Mar. 5-24, 1932, cat. 16.
Munich, Galerie Günther Franke, “Max Beckmann,” 1946, cat. 83.
New York, Museum of Modern Art, "Max Beckmann," 1964–1965, cat. 92, p. 152; also the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Kunstverein, Hamburg, "Max Beckmann: Gemälde, Aquarelle, Zeichnungen,” 1965, cat. 86, also Frankfurt Kunstverein.
London, Tate Gallery, "Max Beckmann 1884–1950," Oct. 1–Nov. 7, 1965, cat. 87, p. 32.
Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, "German and Austrian Expressionism: Art in a Turbulent Era," Mar. 10–Apr. 30, 1978, p. 27.
Munich, Haus der Kunst, "Max Beckmann—Retrospective," Feb. 25–Apr. 23, 1984, p. 352–53, cat. 173 (ill.); also Nationalgalerie, Berlin, May 18–July 29, 1984, the Saint Louis Art Museum, Sept. 7–Nov. 4, 1984, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Dec. 9, 1984–Feb. 3, 1985.

Literature

Cicerone 21 (1929), p. 59.
Carl Einstein, Die Kunst des 20 Jahrhunderts (Berlin, 1931), pp. 493 and 644 (ill.).
Max Beckmann Briefe II (Munich, 1996), pp. 393–94, 476.
Sandy Brooke, Hooked on Drawing (Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1996), p. 269 (ill.).
Max Beckmann: The Watercolors and Pastels, Catalogue Raisonné of the works in color on paper, edited by Mayen Beckmann, Siegfried Gohr and Max Hollein (Frankfurt, 2006), p. 116, no. 33 (ill.).
Thole Rotermund Kunsthandel (Hamburg, 2014) (ill. under cat. 2).

Comparables