Paula Modersohn-Becker

(German, 1876–1907)

Paula Modersohn-Becker was a German painter best known for her expressionistic self-portraits, scenes of children with their mothers, and moody landscapes. Painted in rich hues and rough brushstrokes in both oil and tempera, her works contain an undertone of mystery. Born on February 8, 1876 in Dresden-Friedrichstadt, Germany, Modersohn-Becker had her first foray into painting after visiting the Kunsthalle Bremen in 1893. This experience prompted her to seek private instruction at the Union of Berlin Female Artists in 1896. Rejecting the domination of the art academies and the patriarchal dominance of the time, the artist often painted herself and other women nude. In 1901, she married Otto Modersohn, the painter and cofounder of the Worpswede Artist’s Colony. In Worpswede, the artist painted alongside her husband and his peers Fritz Overbeck, Heinrich Vogeler, and Fritz Mackensen. Around this same time, Modersohn-Becker developed a close friendship with Clara Westhof a sculptor and the wife of famed poet Rainer Maria Rilke, she and Westhof travelled to Paris on several occasions to see exhibitions and socialize. Tragically at only 31 years old, her life was cut short due to embolism on November 21, 1907 in Worpswede, Germany. The Paula Becker-Modersohn Museum, a private museum and gallery, opened in Bremen in the autumn of 2007, built in the house where she spent much of her early life. In 2016, Christian Schwochow’s film Paula was released, portraying the artist’s brilliant and brief career. Today, her works are found in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Kunstmuseum Basel, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Paula Modersohn-Becker News

Google Doodle Honors German Modernist Paula Modersohn-Becker on Her 142nd Birthday

Google Doodle Honors German Modernist Paula Modersohn-Becker on Her 142nd Birthday

by Sarah Cascone
MoMA and Neue Galerie Acquire a Masterpiece by Paula Modersohn-Becker, the Expressionist Pioneer With a Tragic Life Story

MoMA and Neue Galerie Acquire a Masterpiece by Paula Modersohn-Becker, the Expressionist Pioneer With a Tragic Life Story

by Sarah Cascone
Must-See Art Guide: Berlin

Must-See Art Guide: Berlin

by Tatiana Berg
At St. Etienne, Paula Modersohn-Becker Out-Currins John Currin

At St. Etienne, Paula Modersohn-Becker Out-Currins John Currin

by Blake Gopnik

Paula Modersohn-Becker Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Paula Modersohn-Becker (562 results)
Landschaft mit Föhre, 1901

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Landschaft mit Föhre, 1901

Sale Date: June 5, 2009

Auction Closed

Bauerngarten mit rotem Haus, 1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Bauerngarten mit rotem Haus, 1902

Sale Date: June 5, 2009

Auction Closed

Männer, Frauen und Kinder zwischen Bäumen, 1905–1906

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Männer, Frauen und Kinder zwischen Bäumen, 1905–1906

Sale Date: May 28, 2009

Auction Closed

Drei Männer am Seinekai, gegenüber das..., 1905–1906

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Drei Männer am Seinekai, gegenüber das..., 1905–1906

Sale Date: May 28, 2009

Auction Closed

Stehender Junge mit angewinkeltem rechtem Arm, 1898

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Stehender Junge mit angewinkeltem rechtem Arm, 1898

Sale Date: December 6, 2008

Auction Closed

Kinder in der Scheune

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Kinder in der Scheune

Sale Date: December 5, 2008

Auction Closed

Bäuerin mit Kind und Säugling zwischen..., 1904

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Bäuerin mit Kind und Säugling zwischen..., 1904

Sale Date: November 28, 2008

Auction Closed

Blühender Apfelbaum II, 1901

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Blühender Apfelbaum II, 1901

Sale Date: November 28, 2008

Auction Closed

Brustbild einer Alten Frau mit Haube, 1897–1898

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Brustbild einer Alten Frau mit Haube, 1897–1898

Sale Date: November 28, 2008

Auction Closed

Stehendes Mädchen unter Baum vor Landschaft

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Stehendes Mädchen unter Baum vor Landschaft

Sale Date: November 14, 2008

Auction Closed

Sitzende Alte, 1900

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Sitzende Alte, 1900

Sale Date: May 28, 2008

Auction Closed

Landschaft unter Bäumen, 1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Landschaft unter Bäumen, 1902

Sale Date: May 31, 2008

Auction Closed

Die Gänsemagd, 1913–1914

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Die Gänsemagd, 1913–1914

Sale Date: May 31, 2008

Auction Closed

Sitzende Alte, pl. 4 (from Die..., 1900–1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Sitzende Alte, pl. 4 (from Die..., 1900–1902

Sale Date: April 30, 2008

Auction Closed

Die Frau mit der Gans

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Die Frau mit der Gans

Sale Date: April 10, 2008

Auction Closed

Zwei sitzende mädchen vor birkenstämmen, 1904

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Zwei sitzende mädchen vor birkenstämmen, 1904

Sale Date: February 5, 2008

Auction Closed

Sitzende bäuerin mit kind auf dem schoss, 1903

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Sitzende bäuerin mit kind auf dem schoss, 1903

Sale Date: February 5, 2008

Auction Closed

Die Frau mit der Gans

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Die Frau mit der Gans

Sale Date: December 3, 2007

Auction Closed

Waldteich mit Brücke, 1896–1897

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Waldteich mit Brücke, 1896–1897

Sale Date: December 8, 2007

Auction Closed

Auf Podest sitzender Frauenakt nach links, 2006

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Auf Podest sitzender Frauenakt nach links, 2006

Sale Date: November 28, 2007

Auction Closed

Mutter mit Kind auf dem Arm, 1903–1904

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Mutter mit Kind auf dem Arm, 1903–1904

Sale Date: November 30, 2007

Auction Closed

Kopf eines Blonden Mädchens mit Zöpfen, 1905

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Kopf eines Blonden Mädchens mit Zöpfen, 1905

Sale Date: November 30, 2007

Auction Closed

Die Gänsemagd, 1899

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Die Gänsemagd, 1899

Sale Date: December 1, 2007

Auction Closed

Zwei Kinder mit Schaf, 1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Zwei Kinder mit Schaf, 1902

Sale Date: December 1, 2007

Auction Closed

English (US)

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