Untitled

By the early 1920s Berlin had become a crossroads for the international avant-garde, especially for artists from Eastern Europe, who were eager to absorb the radical art of their time and find opportunities to exhibit and sell their work. Max Herman Maxy arrived in 1922, already well established in the modern art scene of Romania but eager for more direct exposure to the dynamism of Berlin’s artistic life. Maxy was soon associated with the Expressionist Novembergruppe (November Group) as well as the art dealer Herwarth Walden, who featured the artist’s work in his publication Der Sturm and at his Sturm Galerie. This composition reflects the Expressionist influences on Maxy’s work: the vibrant, prismatic facets describe the shallow surfaces of buildings as well as the darkened space of narrow alleys, which together produce a lively, kaleidoscopic effect.