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)

Paula Modersohn-Becker

"Brustbild eines Mädchens nach links vor..., 1903

Sale Date: May 30, 2019

Auction Closed

Zwei Bauernmädchen, 1900

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Zwei Bauernmädchen, 1900

Sale Date: May 4, 2019

Auction Closed

Sitzende Alte, 1900

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Sitzende Alte, 1900

Sale Date: May 18, 2019

Auction Closed

Sitzende Alte, 1900

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Sitzende Alte, 1900

Sale Date: March 5, 2019

Auction Closed

Das Kalb, 1900–1905

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Das Kalb, 1900–1905

Sale Date: March 5, 2019

Auction Closed

Recto: Female nude standing– Verso: Female..., 1906

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Recto: Female nude standing– Verso: Female..., 1906

Sale Date: December 5, 2018

Auction Closed

„Blinde Frau im Walde“, 1900

Paula Modersohn-Becker

„Blinde Frau im Walde“, 1900

Sale Date: December 1, 2018

Auction Closed

Brustbild zweier Jungen vor Landschaft, 1901

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Brustbild zweier Jungen vor Landschaft, 1901

Sale Date: November 30, 2018

Auction Closed

„Die Frau mit der Gans“, 1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

„Die Frau mit der Gans“, 1902

Sale Date: December 1, 2018

Auction Closed

Mutter mit Kind auf dem Arm, 1904

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Mutter mit Kind auf dem Arm, 1904

Sale Date: November 30, 2018

Auction Closed

„Drei Kinder an einem Hang sitzend mit Hund..., 1901

Paula Modersohn-Becker

„Drei Kinder an einem Hang sitzend mit Hund..., 1901

Sale Date: November 29, 2018

Auction Closed

Selbstbildnis, 1904–1905

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Selbstbildnis, 1904–1905

Sale Date: October 26, 2018

Auction Closed

BIRKENWEG (PATH WITH BIRCH TREES), 1899

Paula Modersohn-Becker

BIRKENWEG (PATH WITH BIRCH TREES), 1899

Sale Date: June 20, 2018

Auction Closed

Sitzende Alte (Seated old woman), 1900

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Sitzende Alte (Seated old woman), 1900

Sale Date: June 6, 2018

Auction Closed

Landschaft mit Moorkanal, 1900

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Landschaft mit Moorkanal, 1900

Sale Date: June 1, 2018

Auction Closed

Kinder vor Bauernhaus. Verso: Birkenstämme..., 1901

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Kinder vor Bauernhaus. Verso: Birkenstämme..., 1901

Sale Date: June 1, 2018

Auction Closed

„Die Gänsemagd“, 1900

Paula Modersohn-Becker

„Die Gänsemagd“, 1900

Sale Date: June 1, 2018

Auction Closed

„Mädchen in Dämmerung mit karierter Bluse“, 1904

Paula Modersohn-Becker

„Mädchen in Dämmerung mit karierter Bluse“, 1904

Sale Date: May 31, 2018

Auction Closed

„Landschaft am Weyerberg mit schreitendem..., 1903

Paula Modersohn-Becker

„Landschaft am Weyerberg mit schreitendem..., 1903

Sale Date: May 31, 2018

Auction Closed

SITZENDES KIND, 1900–1902

Paula Modersohn-Becker

SITZENDES KIND, 1900–1902

Sale Date: March 27, 2018

Auction Closed

Blinde Frau im Walde, 1900

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Blinde Frau im Walde, 1900

Sale Date: March 28, 2018

Auction Closed

Brustbild einer alten Bäuerin mit Hut vor..., 1901

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Brustbild einer alten Bäuerin mit Hut vor..., 1901

Sale Date: February 28, 2018

Auction Closed

Bildnis einer Bäuerin

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Bildnis einer Bäuerin

Sale Date: December 6, 2017

Auction Closed

Zwei sitzende Frauen. Verso: Sitzender..., 1905–1906

Paula Modersohn-Becker

Zwei sitzende Frauen. Verso: Sitzender..., 1905–1906

Sale Date: December 1, 2017

Auction Closed

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