About this artwork
Beckmann was influenced by Christian iconography in this scene. It is similar to depictions of the Crucifixion and also of the Deposition from the Cross. The soldiers who poke the woman with their rifles are reminiscent of the soldiers who mocked Christ. The central female figure is widely agreed to be the revolutionary leader Rosa Luxemburg, who was murdered by government troops in January 1919 for her leading role in the Revolution.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Max Beckmann (1884 - 1950) German
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title:Die Hölle (Hell): Das Martyrium (Martyrdom)
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date created:1919
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materials:Lithograph
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measurements:61.00 x 87.00 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Purchased 1981
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accession number:GMA 2465 D
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gallery:
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subject:
Max Beckmann
Max Beckmann
Beckmann was born in Leipzig. He studied in Weimar and Paris before settling in Berlin. At the outbreak of war he volunteered for the medical corps, but in 1915 suffered a nervous breakdown and was later discharged. After seeing the devastating effects of the war on the people of Germany and on the...
