Trailer: Avant-Garde: Max Liebermann and Impressionism in Germany

Max Liebermann paved the way for Germany’s first artistic avant-garde. Through his French connections, he transformed painting and shaped German Impressionism. Avant-Garde: Max Liebermann and Impressionism in Germany (February 28 – June 7, 2026) brings together over 110 works from more than sixty international collections, showcasing vibrant cityscapes, leisure and nature scenes, child portraits, and theater tableaux. 

At the heart of the exhibition stands Max Liebermann in his multifaceted roles as artist, collector, and president of the Berliner Secession—a figure who provided decisive impetus for the internationalization of the German art world.
At the same time, the exhibition illuminates how a new generation of painters—deeply inspired by French modernism—advanced subjects such as vibrant urban vistas, scenes of leisure and nature, children’s portraits, and theatrical settings in strikingly original ways.Alongside key works by Max Liebermann, Lovis Corinth, Max Slevogt, and Fritz von Uhde, the presentation features works by other significant and newly rediscovered artists, including Philipp Franck, Dora Hitz, Gotthardt Kuehl, Sabine Lepsius, Maria Slavona, and Lesser Ury.