Max Beckmann, German, 1884–1950; Self-Portrait 1950 (detail), 1950; oil on canvas; 55 1/8 x 36 inches, framed: 66 15/16 x 48 x 3 3/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 866:1983
Always Modern
German Art and Design from the Collection
November 7, 2025–March 15, 2026- Location
- Gallery 235 and Sidney S. and Sadie M. Cohen Gallery 234
Modern is more than a moment in time or a style—it’s a spirit of bold experimentation, fresh ideas, and deep engagement with contemporary life. Always Modern celebrates this spirit through masterworks of German art and design from the Museum’s renowned collection. Spanning 1880 to the postwar years, the exhibition showcases paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, and design by 16 influential artists, demonstrating modernism’s enduring power to captivate, confront, and inspire.
Organized into six sections, Always Modern traces pivotal moments in German art history. Highlights include Max Klinger’s visionary print cycle Eve and the Future, unflinching self-portraits by Max Beckmann, the raw force of Expressionism, and the technical brilliance of Jugendstil and the Bauhaus. A final selection of postwar works gestures toward the creative resurgence of the 1980s, bridging past innovations with the present.
Far from a look back, Always Modern invites you to discover how modern German art and design continues to challenge conventions, inspire new ideas, and shape the way we see the world today.
Always Modern: German Art and Design from the Collection is curated by Melissa Venator, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Assistant Curator of Modern Art.
Wilhelm Wagenfeld, German, 1900–1990; Table Lamp, 1923–24; glass and nickel-plated brass; overall: 15 x 7 inches base only: 10 3/4 x 7 inches shade only: 5 x 7 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Richard Brumbaugh Trust in memory of Richard Irving Brumbaugh and in honor of Grace Lischer Brumbaugh 165:1993a,b