Secession

In art, "secession" ("Sezession" in German) is the name adopted by each of several associations of avant-garde artists, especially those in Munich, Berlin, and Vienna, who broke away (seceded) from the established, more conservative, academic societies and their exhibitions. The artists of Munich formed a secession in 1892 that spread to other German cities. Its leading members were Max Liebermann (German, 1847-1935), Wilhelm Tr?bner (German, 1851-1917), Lovis Corinth (German, 1858-1925), and Franz von Stuck (German, 1863-1928). The Berlin Secession, led by Liebermann, split away from the Verein Berliner K?nstler in 1899, and held its first exhibition in its own building in 1899. In 1910, the Berlin Secession rejected a number of younger painters, including several artists of Die Br?cke; Max Pechstein (German, 1881-1955) principal among them; who organized the New Secession group (Neue Sezession). The Vienna Secession was founded in 1897 by nineteen leading Austrian artists. At their head was Gustav Klimt (Austrian, 1862-1918), whose decorative, exotic paintings exemplify Secessionstil, the Viennese version of Art Nouveau. The Photo-Secession group was an American association of modern photographers who rejected pictorial photography. It was formed in 1902 in New York City by Alfred Stieglitz (American, 1864-1946) and Edward Steichen (American, 1879-1973).