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)
Bauernhaus

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Bauernhaus

Sale Date: December 1, 2007

Auction Closed

Mädchen zwischen Birken, 1902–1903

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Mädchen zwischen Birken, 1902–1903

Sale Date: December 1, 2007

Auction Closed

Bäuerin mit Kind, im Hintergrund ein Reiter, 1904

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Bäuerin mit Kind, im Hintergrund ein Reiter, 1904

Sale Date: November 7, 2007

Auction Closed

Elsbeth mit Hühnern unter Apfelbaum, 1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Elsbeth mit Hühnern unter Apfelbaum, 1902

Sale Date: November 7, 2007

Auction Closed

Ein stehender Mann mit Mütze (+..., 1897–1898

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Ein stehender Mann mit Mütze (+..., 1897–1898

Sale Date: September 21, 2007

Auction Closed

Zwei kleine Mädchen vor einem Haus, mit , 1897–1898

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Zwei kleine Mädchen vor einem Haus, mit , 1897–1898

Sale Date: September 21, 2007

Auction Closed

Landschaft unter Bäumen, 1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Landschaft unter Bäumen, 1902

Sale Date: June 2, 2007

Auction Closed

Sitzendes Kind, 1900–1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Sitzendes Kind, 1900–1902

Sale Date: June 2, 2007

Auction Closed

Zwei Bauernmädchen, 1900–1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Zwei Bauernmädchen, 1900–1902

Sale Date: June 2, 2007

Auction Closed

Bildnis einer Bäuerin, 1900–1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Bildnis einer Bäuerin, 1900–1902

Sale Date: June 2, 2007

Auction Closed

Die Frau mit der Gans, 1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Die Frau mit der Gans, 1902

Sale Date: June 2, 2007

Auction Closed

Sitzende Alte, 1899–1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Sitzende Alte, 1899–1902

Sale Date: June 2, 2007

Auction Closed

Sitzender Mädchenakt, 1900–1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Sitzender Mädchenakt, 1900–1902

Sale Date: June 2, 2007

Auction Closed

Die sieben Raben I, 1905

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Die sieben Raben I, 1905

Sale Date: June 2, 2007

Auction Closed

Junge mit Ziege, 1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Junge mit Ziege, 1902

Sale Date: June 2, 2007

Auction Closed

Kuhstall, 1901

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Kuhstall, 1901

Sale Date: June 9, 2007

Auction Closed

Die Gänsemagd, 1900–1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Die Gänsemagd, 1900–1902

Sale Date: June 1, 2007

Auction Closed

Waldteich mit Brücke, 1896–1897

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Waldteich mit Brücke, 1896–1897

Sale Date: June 1, 2007

Auction Closed

Kinder in der Scheune

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Kinder in der Scheune

Sale Date: May 25, 2007

Auction Closed

Brustbild eines blonden Mädchens, 1900

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Brustbild eines blonden Mädchens, 1900

Sale Date: May 29, 2007

Auction Closed

Mädchen am Stuhl lehnend (+ Dorflandschaft,..., 1898

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Mädchen am Stuhl lehnend (+ Dorflandschaft,..., 1898

Sale Date: March 30, 2007

Auction Closed

Kopf eines auf einem Stuhl sitzenden..., 1905

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Kopf eines auf einem Stuhl sitzenden..., 1905

Sale Date: February 5, 2007

Auction Closed

Bildnis einer Bäuerin (Mädchen mit Nase), 1900–1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Bildnis einer Bäuerin (Mädchen mit Nase), 1900–1902

Sale Date: December 9, 2006

Auction Closed

Auf Podest sitzender Frauenakt nach links

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Auf Podest sitzender Frauenakt nach links

Sale Date: November 29, 2006

Auction Closed

English (US)

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