Portrait of Morton D. May
1949
Max Beckmann captured his patron Morton D. May with characteristic intensity in this 1949 portrait, painted during the artist's exile in St. Louis. Notice the oversized, expressive hands—one raised palm-out, the other resting on the chest—which give the subject a look of urgent communication, fitting for a man who was a major force in the art world. The signature '49 St. L' in the top corner marks the period when Beckmann taught at Washington University, where May was his student and biggest supporter before donating this piece to the Saint Louis Art Museum.
Location: Saint Louis Art Museum