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Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art
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Düsseldorf, Germany
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Herbert Beck

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(1920 - 2010), Germany

Herbert Beck was born in Leipzig (de) in 1920. He initially completed an apprenticeship as goldsmith in Leipzig and took drawing lessons under professor Max Schwimmer at the Leipzig School of Applied Arts for Graphics and Design. In 1948, after the escape from the Soviets to Tegernsee, he began painting as an autodidact. In the 1950s, the gallery Commeter in Hamburg staged several exhibitions of his oil paintings. Also, Hanna Bekker vom Rath supported Beck early on and organised multiple exhibitions for him during the 1960s.

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The acquaintance with Emil Nolde greatly influenced Beck's artistic creativity. Fascinated with the glowing colours in Nolde's watercolours, Beck began to develop his own watercolour technique with strong colouring. Even when painting in oil he achieved a similar character to watercolours by diluting the paint with turpentine exceedingly.

Beck's works belong within the German tradition of Expressionism and show tendencies towards mysticism and magic. Thematically, his oeuvre comprises landscapes, still lifes and figurative compositions. Religious themes take on an important role time and again over the years; dealing with his wartime experiences also becomes evident in numerous works. Even Beck's fondness for jazz and classical music pervades his entire oeuvre as a formal inspiration.

During the late 1970s Beck developed a special technique which was based on random creation. Hence, his „miniatures“ came into being - watercolours of small format with poetic and narrative character.

In 1984, Beck became seriously ill as a result to breathing in turpentine fumes over many years while working on his oil paintings. After his recuperation he concentrated solely on painting with watercolours. During the last years of creation he painted a cycle of watercolours which he named „Faces of the World“. Through the often shocking and unmasking depictions of perpetrators and victims he expressed his idea of the human being in the 20th century. Even his landscape pictures he developed further into the abstract „Meditative Landscapes“ consisting of spatial levels of colour.

The artist died 90 years of age after a short illness in 2010

Text courtesy Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art.

Recent Exhibitions

Contemporary art exhibition, Herbert Beck, And I was fortunate... . Works 1956–2004 at Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Düsseldorf, Germany Closed 5 November 2021–29 January 2022 Herbert Beck And I was fortunate... . Works 1956–2004
Contemporary art exhibition, Group Exhibition, Summer Breeze at Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Düsseldorf, Germany Closed 30 July–19 September 2020 Group Exhibition Summer Breeze
Contemporary art exhibition, Herbert Beck, Emil Nolde, Beck meets Nolde. Inspiration and Realization at Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Vienna, Austria Closed 29 November 2018–13 February 2019 Herbert Beck, Emil Nolde Beck meets Nolde. Inspiration and Realization
Contemporary art exhibition, Group Exhibition, Thank you for the Flowers at Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Düsseldorf, Germany Closed 6 July–1 September 2018 Group Exhibition Thank you for the Flowers
Contemporary art exhibition, Group Exhibition, Gelb Macht Glücklich (Yellow makes you happy) at Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Düsseldorf, Germany Closed 14 April–30 June 2018 Group Exhibition Gelb Macht Glücklich (Yellow makes you happy)

Recent Artworks

View All (29)
Blüten by Herbert Beck contemporary artwork painting
Herbert Beck Blüten, c. 1980 Watercolour on handmade paper
65 x 94.5 cm
Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art Contact Gallery
Bäume im Abendlicht by Herbert Beck contemporary artwork painting, works on paper
Herbert Beck Bäume im Abendlicht, 1985 Watercolour on paper
8.5 x 13.5 cm
Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art Contact Gallery
Strand im Mondschein by Herbert Beck contemporary artwork painting, works on paper
Herbert Beck Strand im Mondschein Watercolour on paper
9.4 x 7.7 cm
Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art Contact Gallery
Im Purpurwald by Herbert Beck contemporary artwork painting, works on paper
Herbert Beck Im Purpurwald Watercolour on paper
11.5 x 16.3 cm
Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art Contact Gallery
Mann mit Hut by Herbert Beck contemporary artwork painting, works on paper
Herbert Beck Mann mit Hut Watercolour on paper
12.1 x 7.4 cm
Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art Contact Gallery
See und Berge by Herbert Beck contemporary artwork painting
Herbert Beck See und Berge, c. 1960 Oil on canvas
50 x 60 cm
Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art Contact Gallery
Mondlandschaft by Herbert Beck contemporary artwork painting
Herbert Beck Mondlandschaft, c. 1960 Oil on canvas
60 x 70 cm
Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art Contact Gallery
Große rote Komposition (orangene und violette Blüten) by Herbert Beck contemporary artwork painting, works on paper
Herbert Beck Große rote Komposition (orangene und violette Blüten) Watercolour on paper
70 x 91 cm
Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art Contact Gallery
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Recent Artworks View All (29) Recent Artworks

Herbert Beck In Publications

Herbert Beck meets Emil Nolde Herbert Beck meets Emil Nolde
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