Herrmann Max Pechstein

Born. 31.12.1881 in Zwickau
Died. 29.06.1955 in Berlin

German artist, Expressionist, Fauvist

About the artist

Pechstein was born on 31 December 1881 in Zwickau. He started his career as a decorator in his hometown before studying at the School of Applied Arts and the Royal Art Academy in Dresden. It was while he was studying that he met the painter Otto Gussman and the architect Wilhelm Kreis.

In 1902, he became a pupil of Otto Gussmann and stayed until he met Erich Heckel in 1906 after being invited to join the art group Die Brücke.

Pechstein travelled to Italy in 1907 to collect an award and upon his return in 1908, he travelled to Paris. Whilst there he met Fauvist painter Kees van Dongen and persuaded him to join Die Brücke. Later that year, Pechstein moved to Berlin as it was a hub for artistic talent at that time. The Berlin Secession would not let him exhibit in 1910 so he helped form and became chairman of the New Secession, gaining recognition for his decorative and colorful prints.

In 1912, Pechstein was expelled from the Brücke after exhibiting his work at the Berlin Secession without suggesting the inclusion of other members’ works. This expulsion did not affect Pechstein as his work had become more popular. Looking for further inspiration, he spent time in Palau in the Pacific Ocean.

During World War I, Pechstein was captured on the Western Front and was held in Japan.
He returned to Germany via New York and in the spring of 1922, Pechstein was employed as a professor at the Berlin Academy.

As with many artists at that time, his work was denounced by the Nazis in 1933. He was banned from painting or exhibiting his art and fired from his teaching position. His paintings were removed from German museums and some of his work was displayed in the Entartete Kunst (Degenerate Art) exhibition of 1937. Pechstein went into hiding in Pomerania. After the war, he was reinstated and received numerous titles and awards for his work.

He died on 29 June 1955 in West Berlin