This oversize volume examines the career of Paula Modersohn-Becker, a pioneering Expressionist who was largely unknown during her lifetime.

Published in celebration of the 150th birthday of Paula Modersohn-Becker, an artist who remains one of the most important figures of the German avant-garde, this book examines her artistic development in depth and presents works from all phases of her career, with a particular focus on her early work, which has hitherto received little attention or recognition.

Modersohn-Becker was one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century, and her works influenced such major figures as Georg Baselitz and Chantal Joffe. But how did Paula Becker, born in Dresden in 1876, become the artist Paula Modersohn-Becker? Numerous works from renowned collections and private holdings illustrate this fascinating story and demonstrate that she was following her own artistic path even in her student years. It was this path that made her the legend she became, celebrated in literature, film, and art.

This oversized and lavishly illustrated publication celebrates the beloved artist with large reproductions of her most iconic works as well as seldom shown works.