When Paula Modersohn-Becker's artistfriends examined her extensive estate afew weeks after her death, they were overwhelmed. They only gradually realised thatin the painter, who had died so young, theyhad had an outstanding artist in their midst.Modersohn-Becker was largely unrecognisedduring her lifetime but is regarded today asone of the pioneers of Expressionism.The sculptor Bernhard Hoetger was one of the few who recognised hertalent from an early stage. Hoetger's memories of Paula Modersohn werepublished in 1920 as an authentic contemporary document in the seriesJunge Kunst. They are reprinted as a facsimile in this revised and extendededition. The volume is a bibliophilic highlight with an essay explaining theartist's life and work from a present-day perspective, together with herbiography and some 40 illustrations of her most important works.

Paula Modersohn-Becker is recognized today as one of the great painters of the modern movement. But Modersohn-Becker was also a gifted writer and her large body of letters and journals form a moving, highly readable story of a woman at the twin frontiers of art and life. Reissued to coincide with the publication of Dear Friend (see page 3), this edition, which includes every extant letter, all carefully annotated, is the result of extensive research by the editors, and is illustrated with forty-six black and white plates.