Artist Monographs

Alongside artists such as Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko, Richard Pousette-Dart (1916–1992) was one of the most important pioneers of Abstract Expressionism. More than 130 outstanding works from all creative phases allow us to immerse ourselves in the colourful and multifaceted oeuvre of this remarkable artist.  

In the art of Irma Stern, motifs from her South African homeland meet the expressionism of the Brücke artists. In the interwar period she was celebrated in Berlin for her “exotic” paintings, and later became a prominent artist in South Africa. This richly illustrated volume focuses on her highly expressive portraits and addresses questions regarding the contexts in which the works were created and how they are seen today.  

The Expressionist and “Brücke” artist Max Pechstein was a pioneering representative of modernism in Germany. His intensely colourful depictions of people and nature are regarded as foundational to Expressionism and were a defining inspiration for an entire epoch. This publication magnificently illustrates the diversity and depth of his oeuvre.

Helen Frankenthaler’s (1928–2011) radical approach to paint and material makes images pulsate with color. During the postwar period in the United States, she was a leading figure in abstract art. This volume brings together nearly fifty works, providing a comprehensive overview of the world’s largest private collection of Helen Frankenthaler’s works – on display at the recently opened Museum Reinhard Ernst in Wiesbaden.  

The Japanese-Swiss artist Leiko Ikemura (b. 1951) has created an internationally recognized and unmistakable body of work. In her artistic universe, there is an interweaving of plant and animal figures, landscapes and the human face. This richly illustrated volume encompasses her entire oeuvre from the 1980s to the present, with graphic art, paintings, and sculpture.  

The youngest member of the Blauer Reiter group was overshadowed for a long time by fellow painters such as Wassily Kandinsky, Franz Marc, August Macke, and Paul Klee. But in recent years, Heinrich Campendonk has enjoyed an unparalleled rediscovery and a new critical assessment of his extensive oeuvre.

Abstract and expressive – the works of the color virtuoso Annette Werndl (b. 1956 in Deggendorf, Bavaria) are internationally appreciated and exhibited. The monograph assembles her works from the past years which were inspired mainly by sojourns in the United States and especially New York, and by the development of the music of the time (jazz, blues and pop).

Agnes Pelton: Desert Transcendentalist will be the first survey of this under recognized American painter in over 22 years. Her distinctive paintings could be described as metaphysical landscapes rooted in the California desert near Cathedral City. Pelton chiefly drew on her own inspirations, superstitions, and beliefs to exemplify emotional states.

Quite apart from her position as the wife and model of Lovis Corinth (1858–1925), Charlotte Berend-Corinth (1880–1967) shone as an artist and was, like Käthe Kollwitz, one of the few women members of the Berlin Secession. This bibliophile monograph is dedicated to the highly gifted, successful and unfairly neglected artist and presents an impressive synopsis of her oeuvre.

Founded in 1948, Hirmer Publishers soon established a name for art books produced to the highest standards. Over the past decade they have become equally well-known in English-speaking countries, with a reputation as one of the most prestigious publishers in this field. This survey of English titles from 2010 to 2020 encompasses a wealth of subjects across the centuries, from antiquity to the modern age.