Young Men by the Sea
- Date
- 1943
- Material
- Oil on canvas
- made in
- Amsterdam, Noord-Holland province, Netherlands, Europe
- Classification
- Paintings
- Collection
- Modern and Contemporary Art
- Current Location
- On View, Gallery 216
- Dimensions
- 75 3/8 x 39 1/2 in. (191.5 x 100.3 cm)
- Credit Line
- Museum Purchase
- Rights
- © 2022 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
- Object Number
- 106:1946
NOTES
Four mysterious male figures dominate the foreground while sailboats dot the horizon in the distance. The light-skinned figure to the right plays a flute and has a music score tucked into his trunks; the dark-skinned man to the left holds a flagon of wine. This band of men reference the world of mythology rather than reality and can be understood as protagonists from the saga of the Argonauts, the group of heroes accompanying Jason in his search for the golden fleece.
Provenance
Max Beckmann (1884-1950), Amsterdam, The Netherlands [1]
- 1946
Buchholz Gallery (Curt Valentin), New York, NY, USA, purchased from the artist [2]
1946/03/13 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from Buchholz Gallery [3]
Notes:
[1] Max Beckmann kept lists of most of his paintings which often included the dates that they were worked on. This painting appears on Beckmann's Amsterdam list with a note that says he completed the painting on December 12, 1942 [Göpel, Erhard and Barbara Göpel. "Max Beckmann: Katalog der Gemälde." Bern: Kornfeld & Cie., 1976, cat. no. 629].
[2] The Bucholz Gallery bill of sale recording the sale of "Young Men by the Sea" to the Saint Louis Art Museum states that the gallery acquired the painting from the artist [SLAM document files].
[3] Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control of the City Art Museum, March 7, 1946.
- 1946
Buchholz Gallery (Curt Valentin), New York, NY, USA, purchased from the artist [2]
1946/03/13 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from Buchholz Gallery [3]
Notes:
[1] Max Beckmann kept lists of most of his paintings which often included the dates that they were worked on. This painting appears on Beckmann's Amsterdam list with a note that says he completed the painting on December 12, 1942 [Göpel, Erhard and Barbara Göpel. "Max Beckmann: Katalog der Gemälde." Bern: Kornfeld & Cie., 1976, cat. no. 629].
[2] The Bucholz Gallery bill of sale recording the sale of "Young Men by the Sea" to the Saint Louis Art Museum states that the gallery acquired the painting from the artist [SLAM document files].
[3] Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control of the City Art Museum, March 7, 1946.
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