Tannenbaum geht nach New York

Although there is a serious story behind this portrait, thanks to the detail of the Christmas tree Beckmann’s painting appears almost humorous at first glance. The man in the suit and tie smoking a pipe is the Mannheim art dealer Herbert Tannenbaum (1892-1958), who, a trainee at the Kunsthalle Mannheim in 1913, is depicted in this painting holding both a symbol of his profession (the picture frame) and his name (the little tree) in his hands.

Through Tannenbaum the Kunsthalle acquired works from Marc Chagall (1887–1985), Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), and Auguste Rodin (1840–1917). In turn, Max Beckmann was a friend of the art dealer. In 1937 they were both forced to flee to Amsterdam from the National Socialists and undertook efforts to continue their journey to the USA. Beckmann completed his portrait shortly before Tannenbaum’s journey to New York in the summer of 1947. It shows the friend in full possession of his identity, so to speak: Despite war and persecution he stuck to his name and profession. In this sense, Beckmann’s painting is a double manifesto: It documents Tannenbaum’s survival and the continuation of a friendship.