The Dream
- Date
- 1921
- Material
- Oil on canvas
- made in
- Frankfurt am Main, Hessen state, Germany, Europe
- Classification
- Paintings
- Collection
- Modern and Contemporary Art
- Current Location
- On View, Gallery 216
- Dimensions
- 71 5/8 x 35 13/16 in. (182 x 91 cm)
framed: 80 5/8 x 42 1/2 x 1 7/8 in. (204.8 x 108 x 4.8 cm) - Credit Line
- Bequest of Morton D. May
- Rights
- Public Domain
- Object Number
- 841:1983
NOTES
Five figures crowd the cramped interior of an attic room. They wear bizarre clothes and perform actions at odds with their surroundings and each other. Max Beckmann’s title proposes an explanation for the scene’s chaos. These strange people may be dreams taken from his sleeping mind. With its focus on subjective experience, the theme reflects Beckmann’s artistic rejection of the visible world after World War I (1914–1918).
Provenance
Max Beckmann (1884-1950), Frankfurt am Main, Germany [1]
- 1924
I. B. Neumann (1887-1961), Berlin, Germany, acquired from the artist [2]
1924 - still in 1949
Benno Elkan (1877-1960), Frankfurt am Main, Germany; later London, England; New York, NY, USA, purchased through I. B. Neumann [3]
- 1957
Galerie des Arts Anciens et Modernes, Liechtenstein, Germany
1957 - 1983
Morton D. May (1914-1983), St. Louis, MO, USA, purchased from Galerie des Arts Anciens et Modernes [4]
1983 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, bequest of Morton D. May [5]
Notes:
The main source for this provenance is Göpel's catalogue raisonné, cat. no. 208 [Göpel, Erhard and Barbara Göpel. "Max Beckmann: Katalog der Gemälde." Bern: Kornfeld & Cie., 1976]. Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.
[1] Max Beckmann kept lists of most of his paintings which often included the dates that they were worked on and later notes on who purchased them. Beckmann notes that this painting was completed on February 28, 1921. He later noted that it was purchased by Benno Elkan.
[2] Published as being in the possession of I. B. Neumann (also known as J. B. Neumann) in 1924 [Glaser, Curt et al. "Max Beckmann." München: R. Piper, 1924]. Neumann was Beckmann's dealer and sold paintings for the artist on commission. Since Beckmann's list gives Elkan as the buyer, it is assumed that Neumann acted as the agent for this sale.
[3] Published in the collection of Elkan in 1949 [Reifenberg, Benno and Wilhelm Hausenstein. "Max Beckmann." München: R. Piper, 1949, cat. no. 178].
[4] Per bill of sale [SLAM document files].
[5] Last Will and Testament of M. D. May dated June 11, 1982 [copy, May Archives, Saint Louis Art Museum]. Minutes of the Acquisitions and Loans Committee of the Board of Trustees, Saint Louis Art Museum, September 20, 1983.
- 1924
I. B. Neumann (1887-1961), Berlin, Germany, acquired from the artist [2]
1924 - still in 1949
Benno Elkan (1877-1960), Frankfurt am Main, Germany; later London, England; New York, NY, USA, purchased through I. B. Neumann [3]
- 1957
Galerie des Arts Anciens et Modernes, Liechtenstein, Germany
1957 - 1983
Morton D. May (1914-1983), St. Louis, MO, USA, purchased from Galerie des Arts Anciens et Modernes [4]
1983 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, bequest of Morton D. May [5]
Notes:
The main source for this provenance is Göpel's catalogue raisonné, cat. no. 208 [Göpel, Erhard and Barbara Göpel. "Max Beckmann: Katalog der Gemälde." Bern: Kornfeld & Cie., 1976]. Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.
[1] Max Beckmann kept lists of most of his paintings which often included the dates that they were worked on and later notes on who purchased them. Beckmann notes that this painting was completed on February 28, 1921. He later noted that it was purchased by Benno Elkan.
[2] Published as being in the possession of I. B. Neumann (also known as J. B. Neumann) in 1924 [Glaser, Curt et al. "Max Beckmann." München: R. Piper, 1924]. Neumann was Beckmann's dealer and sold paintings for the artist on commission. Since Beckmann's list gives Elkan as the buyer, it is assumed that Neumann acted as the agent for this sale.
[3] Published in the collection of Elkan in 1949 [Reifenberg, Benno and Wilhelm Hausenstein. "Max Beckmann." München: R. Piper, 1949, cat. no. 178].
[4] Per bill of sale [SLAM document files].
[5] Last Will and Testament of M. D. May dated June 11, 1982 [copy, May Archives, Saint Louis Art Museum]. Minutes of the Acquisitions and Loans Committee of the Board of Trustees, Saint Louis Art Museum, September 20, 1983.
We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.
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