Happy Birthday, Paula Modersohn-Becker! This volume celebrates 150 years since the birth of the fascinating artist, who remains of the most important figures of the German avant-garde. Examining her artistic development in depth and presenting works from all phases of her career, this book places particular focus on her early work, which has hitherto received little attention or recognition.

She 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.