One of the most discussed, and perhaps controversial, artists of the late nineteenth century, Gabriel von Max (1840–1915) “set hearts beating violently” with his paintings of a somnambulant, crucified woman with a full-blooded swain at her feet and an anatomist pulling back diaphanous cloth from the alabaster corpse of a beautiful young woman. Max’s portrayal of the biblical tale of Jairus’ daughter being raised from the dead, his polemical depiction of vivisection, and his paintings of his beloved, yet melancholic, monkeys engaged in various humanlike endeavors stirred the emotions and public debates of his day. Yet, despite international acclaim, Max has not been the subject of a solo museum exhibition in America until now, with the Frye Art Museum’s Gabriel von Max, on view July 9 through October 30, 2011. www.fryeartmuseum.org
