Station: [14] Max Liebermann: „On the Beacht at Nordwijk/By the Sea – Beach Picture“ (1911)

On a dazzlingly bright sandy beach summer guests enjoy the fresh sea breeze. It is mostly well-dressed young women with their children who have settled right there on the sand. The waves gently lap the shore. Our elevated viewpoint allows us to take in a good view of the expansive beach.

A very important figure in German and international culture already during his lifetime, Max Liebermann travelled to the Dutch seaside every summer from 1872 on. Initially focusing on the working people, he gradually turned towards the subject of the beach and depicted the leisure life of the upper class.

Here we see a scene on the beach at Noordwijk. The brushwork is fresh and lively. Laying the paint on thick, Liebermann seemingly casually captured what he had just seen. The protrusions forming on the surface still show the marks of the brush or palette knife. This style of painting is called impasto. At the same time, there are places where Liebermann left the canvas exposed. As a result, those blank areas acquire the same value as the painted ones. This delightful canvas ranks among Liebermann’s most beautiful beachscapes. In 2019, it was presented on permanent loan to the Museum Kunst der Westküste — a fantastic addition to our holdings of Liebermann’s works. We are extremely happy about it! Should you too, dear listeners, possess such a “treasure” and want a good home for it, please do not hesitate to contact us!