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

Museums & Institutions

The Permanent Collection: A Female Expressionist's Revelatory Final Self-Portrait

by Adam Schrader
The Permanent Collection: A Female Expressionist's Revelatory Final Self-Portrait
Art World

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

by Sarah Cascone
Google Doodle Honors German Modernist Paula Modersohn-Becker on Her 142nd Birthday
On View

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

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

Paula Modersohn-Becker Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Paula Modersohn-Becker (562 results)
Die Frau mit der Gans, 1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Die Frau mit der Gans, 1902

Sale Date: June 14, 2022

Auction Closed

Stehender weiblicher Akt / Sitzender..., 1903

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Stehender weiblicher Akt / Sitzender..., 1903

Sale Date: December 2, 2022

Auction Closed

Seated Nude & Standing Nude (A Double-Sided Work)

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Seated Nude & Standing Nude (A Double-Sided Work)

Sale Date: July 20, 2022

Auction Closed

Sitting child, 1900–1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Sitting child, 1900–1902

Sale Date: June 25, 2022

Auction Closed

Farmstead in Amrun, 1903

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Farmstead in Amrun, 1903

Sale Date: June 22, 2022

Auction Closed

Die Frau mit der Gans, 1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Die Frau mit der Gans, 1902

Sale Date: June 4, 2022

Auction Closed

Sitzender Mädchenakt

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Sitzender Mädchenakt

Sale Date: June 3, 2022

Auction Closed

Schweizerhaus, 1899

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Schweizerhaus, 1899

Sale Date: June 3, 2022

Auction Closed

Brustbild eines Jungen vor Apfelbäumen, 1901

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Brustbild eines Jungen vor Apfelbäumen, 1901

Sale Date: June 2, 2022

Auction Closed

Die Frau mit der Gans, 1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Die Frau mit der Gans, 1902

Sale Date: May 14, 2022

Auction Closed

Landschaft mit Birkenweg im Herbst, 1900

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Landschaft mit Birkenweg im Herbst, 1900

Sale Date: December 3, 2021

Auction Closed

Seated Nude & Standing Nude (A Double-Sided Work)

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Seated Nude & Standing Nude (A Double-Sided Work)

Sale Date: November 17, 2021

Auction Closed

Sitzender Junge mit Mädchen auf dem Schoß, 1903

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Sitzender Junge mit Mädchen auf dem Schoß, 1903

Sale Date: December 1, 2021

Auction Closed

Sitzende Alte, 1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Sitzende Alte, 1902

Sale Date: October 30, 2021

Auction Closed

Die Gänsemagd, 1900

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Die Gänsemagd, 1900

Sale Date: July 14, 2021

Auction Closed

Weidender Schimmel im Mondlicht, 1901

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Weidender Schimmel im Mondlicht, 1901

Sale Date: June 16, 2021

Auction Closed

Elsbeth mit Hühnern, 1902–1903

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Elsbeth mit Hühnern, 1902–1903

Sale Date: June 18, 2021

Auction Closed

Zwei Mädchenköpfe im Profil nach rechts, 1903–1904

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Zwei Mädchenköpfe im Profil nach rechts, 1903–1904

Sale Date: December 12, 2020

Auction Closed

Zwei Mädchen hinter kahlem Baum. Verso:..., 1903

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Zwei Mädchen hinter kahlem Baum. Verso:..., 1903

Sale Date: December 9, 2020

Auction Closed

Bildnis einer Bäuerin, 1900

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Bildnis einer Bäuerin, 1900

Sale Date: September 23, 2020

Auction Closed

DIE GÄNSEMAGD, 1900

Paula Modersohn-Becker

DIE GÄNSEMAGD, 1900

Sale Date: September 26, 2020

Auction Closed

Sitzendes Kind, 1900–1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Sitzendes Kind, 1900–1902

Sale Date: August 19, 2020

Auction Closed

Bildnis einer Bäuerin, 1900

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Bildnis einer Bäuerin, 1900

Sale Date: August 19, 2020

Auction Closed

Kopf der Schwester Herma mit..., 1901

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Kopf der Schwester Herma mit..., 1901

Sale Date: July 17, 2020

Auction Closed

English (US)

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