Max Liebermann was one of the leading proponents of German Impressionism. As the president of the Berlin Secession and honorary president of the Prussian Academy of Arts, he promoted the transition from 19th century art to Classic Modernism. His works were particularly influenced by the Barbizon school and his stays in the Netherlands. They are marked by a colourful luminosity and spirited brushwork. His best-known motifs include scenes of the upper bourgeoisie, aspects of his garden near Lake Wannsee and seaside scenes on the Dutch coast. Due to National Socialism, he withdrew from his posts and spent the last years of his life in Berlin, ostracised and isolated.
