Lyonel Feininger: At the Edge of the World

An exciting new look at a pioneering modern artist, who has often been overlooked by American audiences

Recognized for his remarkable synthesis of Expressionist and Cubist techniques, Lyonel Feininger (1871-1956) has long been considered a leading modern artist in Germany. In his native United States, he is less well known. This comprehensive survey, which examines the artist's broad-ranging interests and influences including his involvement in German Expressionism and the Bauhaus, will reintroduce his art to American audiences.

Generously illustrated, this publication features works from throughout Feininger's diverse career, including his turn-of-the-century satirical illustrations and comics, his carnivalesque Expressionist compositions and crystalline architectural scenes, his whimsical village of hand-carved wooden figures, and his late oils of New York City. The main essay discusses the full breadth of Feininger's career, tracing his relationship with groups and institutions that defined the development of modern art, including Cubism, the Blaue Reiter, the Blue Four, the Bauhaus, and Black Mountain College. Additional essays focus on facets of Feininger's work including his comics, his photographs, his musical compositions and their relationship to his visual art, and his reputation in Germany.

Published in association with the Whitney Museum of American Art

Exhibition Schedule:

Whitney Museum of American Art
(06/30/11-10/16/11)

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
(01/20/12-05/13/12)

Barbara Haskell is curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. John Carlin is an independent writer and curator, as well as the president and CEO of Funny Garbage. Bryan Gilliam is Frances Hill Fox Professor in Humanities at Duke University. Ulrich Luckhardt is curator at the Hamburger Kunsthalle, Germany. Sasha Nicholas is senior curatorial assistant at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.