The Barberini Museum in Potsdam is opening one of the most comprehensive exhibitions dedicated to German Impressionism. The exhibition, focusing on the work of Max Liebermann, presents over 110 works from more than 60 international collections. This event sheds new light on the artist, who opposed the conservative cultural policy of the German Empire by introducing modern, French models directly into native art, making his villa on the Wannsee a center of artistic dialogue.

Record scale of the exhibition

The museum will present over 110 works by Max Liebermann and other German Impressionists gathered from 60 collections worldwide.

Garden on Wannsee as the central theme

The exhibition showcases the artist's unique relationship with his summer residence, which he immortalized in nearly two hundred paintings.

Rebellion against tradition

The works document the struggle of modern painters against the conservative trend supported by Emperor Wilhelm II.

The Barberini Museum in Potsdam has announced the opening of a new, spectacular exhibition titled "German Impressionism," which focuses on the figure of Max Liebermann – the most prominent representative of this movement east of the Oder. The exhibition will be open to visitors from February 28 to June 7, 2026. Curators have gathered over 110 canvases, provided by more than 60 prestigious institutions from around the world. The central theme of the exhibition is the garden at the artist's villa on Wannsee lake, which the painter immortalized on his canvases around 200 times. German Impressionism was born in an atmosphere of rebellion against the tastes of Emperor Wilhelm II, who contemptuously called this modern aesthetic "gutter art." Instead of monumental historical scenes and dark tones, Liebermann and artists such as Max Slevogt and Lovis Corinth focused on scenes from everyday life, landscapes full of light, and painting outdoors. The exhibition at Barberini shows Liebermann not only as a talented painter but also as an influential cultural animator and collector who played a key role in modernizing the German art market. In 1898, Max Liebermann co-founded the Berlin Secession, an artistic association expressing opposition to official state policy and promoting new trends in European art. The value of the master's works is also confirmed by spectacular auction results – one of the paintings, "Rider on the Beach," was auctioned years ago for 2.6 million euros. The exhibition in Potsdam places particular emphasis on the period after 1915, when the artist almost entirely devoted himself to portraying his private green oasis. The event, funded by the foundation of patron Hasso Plattner, is currently one of the most important points on Germany's cultural map. „Max Liebermann setzte sich über die engen Vorstellungen der kaiserlichen Kunstpolitik hinweg und wurde um 1900 zum Vorbild für viele Künstlerinnen und Künstler in Deutschland.” (Max Liebermann transcended the narrow conceptions of imperial art policy and became a role model for many artists in Germany around 1900.) — Barberini Museum

Mentioned People

  • Max Liebermann — Main subject of the exhibition, pioneer of German Impressionism.
  • Hasso Plattner — Art patron and founder of the Barberini Museum.
  • Max Slevogt — Prominent representative of German Impressionism mentioned in the exhibition.