Schweinemarkt in Haarlem

Pig Market in Haarlem (First Version)

1890 / 1891

Max Liebermann
(1847-1935)

Material / Technik

oil paint

canvas

Kategorie des Exponats

Malerei

Gattung

genre painting

Beschriftung / Signatur

Signatur: u.re. "M.Liebermann 86"

Erwerbungsjahr

1910

Maße

111,00 cm x 151,00 cm

Location

Hector-Bau > Ebene 1 > Kubus 3

Intro

Beginning in the late 1870s, Max Liebermann traveled to Holland on numerous occasions and in 1884 spent several weeks in Haarlem. During his stay, he completed sketches of figures and a study which he would later use for his painting of the pig market. Here, the realism of his early works is coupled with an Impressionist use of light. But what is it that lends the scene its vitality?

Liebermann accentuates the movement of the crowd, suggesting individual figures rather than rendering them in detail. In contrast to this, other figures—such as the woman on the right of the picture—are individually characterized. Although subdued, the colors nevertheless possess a shimmering quality. Liebermann allows the light to pass though the dense foliage of the trees, dissolving it into individual patches, thus creating the impression of a fleetingly observed, everyday scene full of movement.

Creditline

Kunsthalle Mannheim

Inhalt und Themen

everyday life

animals

pig

light

summer

market and trade

town

agriculture

trees

dynamism

belebt

labour

peasant

impressionism

crowd

narrowness

conversation

to buy something

the Netherlands

polychrom polychromatic

Multimedia

Transkription

As you can see it is a busy day at the pig market. From all directions, people are thronging towards the stalls. Some are chatting, such as those two at the left edge of the painting. Others are examining the animal goods – still alive in front, ready for use in the back. The old lady to the right has already bought her vegetables. Who knows what she is planning for supper?

With multilayered, shimmering brush strokes Max Liebermann presents a market scene. The contours dissolve. Some faces are clearly discernible, others are mere suggestions. This conveys the same liveliness and movement to the painting which also characterizes the interactions of the people – and animals – in the setting.

Max Liebermann was the first German artist influenced by Impressionism towards the end of the 19th century. Building on this basis he then developed his very own style. Besides landscapes, he liked to examine the simple, everyday life, such as here with the bustling market in the Dutch town of Haarlem. We can see in this image how the Liebermann’s early works based on Realism are combined with his interest in the Impressionist study of light.

Liebermann undertook several journeys through the Netherlands. In 1884 he spent several weeks in Haarlem where he completed sketches of figures and a preliminary study for this painting. He finished the final composition in his studio later on.