Patroklos erscheint Achill (1907)

Max Slevogt prints bring the light and energy of German Impressionism to your walls. With Lovis Corinth and Max Liebermann, Slevogt was one of the leading German painters to work outdoors in front of his subject. This collection gathers art prints of his garden and vineyard views from the Palatinate, his Egyptian landscapes, portraits of opera singers and dancers, and the lively book illustrations he made for stories such as Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.

About Max Slevogt

Max Slevogt was born in Landshut, Bavaria, on 8 October 1868, the son of an army captain. After his father's death the family moved to Würzburg, where he went to school. From 1884 to 1889 he studied at the Munich Academy under teachers including Wilhelm von Diez, then spent time at the Académie Julian in Paris.

His early Munich paintings are dark and brownish, but by the late 1890s his palette had brightened. In 1898 he married Antonie "Nini" Finkler, whose family home at Neukastel in the Palatinate became a lasting part of his life. A visit to Paris in 1900, where he was struck by the paintings of Édouard Manet, pushed him further toward Impressionism, and in 1901 he moved to Berlin with Lovis Corinth and joined the Berlin Secession.

In 1914 he traveled to Egypt and came back with 21 bright oil paintings and many watercolors. During the First World War he was sent to the Western Front as an official war painter. He joined the Prussian Academy of Arts in 1921, designed sets for Mozart's Don Giovanni in Dresden in 1924, and died at Neukastel, near Leinsweiler, on 20 September 1932.

Style and Subjects

Slevogt worked across many fields: oil painting, watercolor, drawing, printmaking, book illustration, stage design and murals. His mature paintings use loose, quick brushwork and bright color, especially in his gardens, vineyards and landscapes of the Palatinate around Neukastel and Godramstein.

He loved music and the theater, and some of his best-known pictures show the Portuguese baritone Francisco d'Andrade singing Don Giovanni. His illustrations for Ali Baba, Don Quixote and other tales are full of fantasy and movement, and his family, especially his wife and mother-in-law, appear often in his portraits.

Famous Works

• Lady Adventure (1894), Städel Museum, Frankfurt. An early, mysterious picture from his Munich years.
• The Prodigal Son (1899). The triptych that was a great success at the first Berlin Secession exhibition.
• 'Seemann' the Orangutan and His Keeper (1901), Städel Museum, Frankfurt. A lively study made at the Frankfurt zoo.
• The Champagne Song (The White d'Andrade) (1902), Staatsgalerie Stuttgart. The baritone Francisco d'Andrade as Don Giovanni, seen as one of Slevogt's main works.
• The Nile near Aswan (1914), Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. A bright view from his trip to Egypt.
• Vine Arbour in Neukastel (1917), Wallraf–Richartz Museum, Cologne. Sunlight filters through the vines at his country home.
• Blossoming Lilac (1921), Städel Museum, Frankfurt. A late flower painting full of loose, bright color.

Decorating with Slevogt Prints

Slevogt's gardens, lilacs and vineyard scenes are natural choices for a sunroom, kitchen or bedroom. Their fresh greens, violets and warm whites look good against light walls and natural wood, and they suit country-style and Scandinavian rooms.

The Egyptian landscapes add warm sand and blue tones to a living room or study. For a music room, piano corner or home theater, the d'Andrade opera portraits and the Ali Baba illustrations add drama and a touch of storytelling.

FAQ

What art movement was Max Slevogt part of?

Slevogt was a German Impressionist. Together with Lovis Corinth and Max Liebermann he is counted among the leading German painters who worked outdoors, directly in front of the subject.

What is Max Slevogt's most famous painting?

The Champagne Song (1902), also called The White d'Andrade, is often named as his main work. It shows the singer Francisco d'Andrade as Don Giovanni and hangs in the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart.

Where can I see Slevogt's original paintings?

The Städel Museum in Frankfurt, the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin and the Wallraf–Richartz Museum in Cologne all hold his work. His house at Neukastel, the Slevogthof, still has his wall paintings.

How can you recognize a Max Slevogt painting?

Look for quick, loose brushstrokes, bright light and a sense of movement. Gardens, vineyards, singers on stage and fantastical illustrated scenes are typical subjects.

Did Max Slevogt illustrate books?

Yes, book illustration was a major part of his work. He made drawings and prints for stories such as Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Don Quixote, and lithographs for Gabriel Ferry's Der Waldläufer.

Related Artists

• Lovis Corinth — fellow German Impressionist who moved to Berlin with Slevogt in 1901
• Max Liebermann — the third leading German Impressionist and Berlin Secession figure
• Wilhelm Trübner — Munich-trained German painter of the same generation
• Fritz von Uhde — painter of the Munich Secession, where Slevogt also exhibited