Dreams and Realities

Beckmann's dealer in America, Curt Valentin, was eager to promote his work there, and, in the spring of 1946, organised Beckmann's first post-war show in New York. The exhibition was an enormous success, with almost all of the works being sold and positive reviews in the papers. Around the same time, Valentin commissioned Beckmann to create the print portfolio Day and Dream (1946). It was intended as a wider introduction to Beckmann's work for an American audience, bringing together diverse images and themes from Beckmann's oeuvre, such as the circus, the relationship between man and woman, the war, and mythological and Christian iconography. The portfolio begins, like many of his earlier print editions, with a self-portrait. As a signature piece, it portrays an artist, who, at the age of 62, still unflinchingly confronts the world. The title Day and Dream reflects Beckmann's fascination with both the real and the visionary.