As an artistic movement, Impressionism would seem to be inseparable from France, the country in which it first developed. However, remembering that one of the major influences on its development came from Britain, we should not be surprised to find that other countries have their own brands of Impressionism – sharing similar characteristics derived from equivalent working methods – and Germany is no exception. 

The major focus of this week’s talk will be Max Liebermann, an artist who lived in Paris between 1873 and 1878 at the birth of French Impressionism: the first three of the eight exhibitions were staged in 1874, 1876 and 1877. Back in Germany he became the leader of the new movement. This was headed by a group of three artists who were acknowledged as a ‘triumvirate’ even in their own day: Liebermann himself, Lovis Corinth, and Max Slevogt. We will discover the work of all three artists, examining key paintings to see how their techniques and concerns aligned with those of their French contemporaries. 

You could argue that French Impressionism had become a thing of the past by the First World War, but in Germany it continued to be significant well into the 1920s – and inevitably the artists and their paintings were influenced by the political instability of the country between the wars. For Liebermann, by this stage seen as one of Germany's leading and most respected painters, this would have a particularly strong impact. 

 Please remember, I do not record my talks.