Artwork
Mother and daughter
Mother and daughter is an oil painting by Max Beckmann. It dates from 1946 and is held in the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1946, this oil on canvas by German painter Max Beckmann portrays a woman and a young girl in a domestic interior. The figures are positioned close together, their arms linked at the waist, suggesting a protective, intimate exchange. Light filters through a window and doorway behind them, framing the quiet scene within a modestly furnished room.
Subject & Meaning
The work presents a mother‑daughter pair, their clothing, a purple dress with a white shawl for the woman and a white dress for the girl, emphasizing a gentle domestic bond. Beckmann’s composition, however, conveys an undercurrent of tension, reflecting his post‑war preoccupation with psychological depth even in seemingly tender moments.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil, the painting employs Beckmann’s characteristic solid modeling and restrained palette, with muted tones punctuated by the bright white of the shawl and dress. The figures are rendered with clear outlines and a flattened spatial sense, echoing his departure from pure Expressionism while retaining a somber, introspective atmosphere.
History & Provenance
Painted shortly after World War II, the piece belongs to Beckmann’s later period, when he lived in exile in the United States. It entered private collections before being acquired by a museum in the early 2000s, where it has been displayed as part of exhibitions exploring his postwar output and the evolution of his figurative language.
Artist & collection
Artist
Max Carl Friedrich Beckmann (February 12, 1884 – December 27, 1950) was a German painter, draftsman, printmaker, sculptor, and writer.
