Still Life with Chianti Bottle and Celery
1949
Max Beckmann turns a simple table setting into a visual riot in this 1949 Expressionist piece, painted during his exile in New York. A giant, pale stalk of celery dominates the foreground, seemingly wrestling with a dark bottle boldly labeled 'RUM'—a cheeky detail that adds a boozy twist to the scene, even if the title suggests Chianti. The jagged black outlines and clashing teals and purples give the composition a nervous, electric energy, reflecting the artist's intense emotional state after fleeing Nazi Germany. It’s a still life that feels anything but still.
- Technique
- oil painting
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