The upcoming exhibition “Avant-garde. Max Liebermann and Impressionism in Germany” at the Museum Barberini in Potsdam from 28 February to 7 June 2026 is dedicated to Max Liebermann’s influence on the development of German Impressionism. Liebermann, former president of the Berlin Secession, brought the international avant-garde to Germany and opened up the German Empire to new artistic trends. The exhibition shows the thematic and stylistic diversity of the years 1870 to 1930 and puts the spotlight not only on famous painters such as Lovis Corinth, Max Slevogt and Liebermann himself, but also on numerous previously lesser-known artists.
In the light-flooded exhibition rooms, visitors will encounter more than 100 works from around 50 international collections, including key works by Maria Slavona, Lesser Ury, Charlotte Berend-Corinth and other protagonists of German Impressionism. In particular, the role of female artists in Impressionism is emphasised and expanded to include new perspectives. A chronological arc spans from the beginnings in the 19th century to the 1930s, and the exhibition impressively illustrates how the Impressionist spirit became an avant-garde movement that had a lasting impact on German art. The show is also part of a collaboration with the Museum Frieder Burda in Baden-Baden, where it was previously on display.
