Arno Breker in front of a photograph of the death mask of Max Liebermann.
Arno Breker in front of a photograph of the death mask of Max Liebermann.
Berlin (mea) The Georg Kolbe Museum in Berlin presents an exhibition 'Death Masks of Three Centuries' from November 14, 2004 to February 13, 2005. Unfortunately, the mask of the famous Jewish painter Max Liebermann is missing. The museum ignored this relic, a reminder about the late Jewish citizen of Berlin. The Museum director Dr. Ursel Berger made no comment so far.
Liebermann's close friend Arno Breker, who also lived in Berlin, formed the mask during the NS times. It has a most exciting background. The face and the head of the late Liebermann are taken as a whole-sculpture portrait. Also under this aspect, the mask is a unique and extraordinary piece for any museum exhibition and collection. One exemplair of the death mask of Max Liebermann belongs to the Governmental Collection of the 'Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz Berlin', and another one is owned by the www.europaeische-kultur-stiftung.org
It has already been displayed at the Jewish Museum.
George Kolbe was one of the most popular German artists during the times of the Third Reich. He had many commissions from the NS government. Also he had the privilege being one of 'Hitlers Künstler' (Hitler's artists). This title, once a great honour, became quite unpopular in Germany after World War II.
In the past, the Kolbe Museum had cooperated on several occasions with the Gerhard Marcks Haus in Bremen, the Ernst Barlach Museum in Guestrow (East Germany) and the British Henry Moore Institute in England
Copyright 2004 West Art, Prometheus 94/2004