Falling Man 1950

Max Beckmann painted Falling Man in the late 1940s, probably in the US, using oil on canvas. The falling figure could be a metaphor for the artist’s experience as a German émigré in the aftermath of the Second World War, but this is of course open to interpretation. Beckmann was part of the artistic and intellectual resistance to the rise of Nazism in Germany. His work was declared ‘degenerate’ by the Third Reich in 1937, which marked the beginning of his exile in Amsterdam, and later, the US. ‘Falling Man’ depicts an ambiguous and disturbing scene that can be understood within the wider context of the political turmoil that shaped Beckmann's life and career. The figure plummets between worlds and the painting is filled with jarring juxtapositions of earth, water and sky. To fully appreciate this artwork, we must consider the historical context of its creation, including the artist’s biography, and the social and political upheavals of the time. Art historical research can uncover the rich layers of meaning embedded within this powerful and unsettling painting.