Last updated: 28 October 2026
Max Renneisen is the Berlin-based German artist who paints nudes and animals in the manner of the Old Masters, built from modern photographs. Here you will find our take on his work, his recent shows, the Max Renneisen prints and book you can buy, and his small oil in this year’s War Child auction.
Our take on Max Renneisen
Renneisen paints as if the last 150 years of art had paused for a moment. His own artist statement says it is “vital to his paintings and drawings to build on the legacy of the Old Masters”. Yet his sources are modern. In his Paradise Lost series, the figures come from magazine photographs, while the landscapes around them are invented in the style of old paintings. His Menagerie series does the same for animals, from penguins to a cassowary.
His War Child piece, Having Fun in the Sun, is a small oil on panel from that nude-in-nature strand. A young woman with short dark hair stands half-length with her hands on her hips. She turns her head to the right and wears only a pearl necklace and a wristwatch. Behind her, a dark tree bends in the wind against a stormy blue sky. The skin is soft and glowing, and the brushwork in the sky is loose.
The watch is the giveaway. It is a modern detail in a picture that otherwise could hang beside a Courbet, which is exactly the tension his statement describes. He has shown twice at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, and he lists no UK gallery, so this lot is a rare chance to buy a painting of his in London.
Max Renneisen: the essentials
- Born in Hamburg in 1977; lives and works in Berlin, according to his own site.
- Studied architecture at the Bauhaus University, Weimar, then took a master’s degree in art history and Italian and French philology at Humboldt University of Berlin.
- Lists Guido Reni, Velázquez, Rubens, Ribera, Frans Hals, Joshua Reynolds and Gustave Courbet among the painters he studied.
- Selected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in London in 2016 and 2018, and for The Discerning Eye at the Mall Galleries in 2018.
- Works closely with his partner, the artist Katharina Renneisen. Together they run Gargantua Editions, which publishes their books and sells their paintings and editions.
- His works are in private collections in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, the USA and the UK.
Where to see Max Renneisen now
- Coming up: Sound & Vision 2026, a War Child charity auction online from 27 October to 12 November 2026, with the works on view at Iconic Images Gallery, London, 6 to 8 November. The piece is Having Fun in the Sun (2026), oil on panel, 15 x 21 cm (5.9 x 8.3 in), lot page.
- Kwadrat Royal (group), Kwadrat Galerie at Schloss Eyrichshof, Ebern, Germany, 2025.
- Don’t Wake Daddy XIX (group), Feinkunst Krüger, Hamburg, 2024.
- Every Wave Is New (duo, with Katharina Renneisen), Framed, Berlin, 2023.
- A Place for Bambi (duo, with Katharina Renneisen), Bark Berlin Gallery, Berlin, 25 November to 16 December 2022.
How to buy Max Renneisen prints and paintings
Max Renneisen sells his own prints, book and small paintings through Gargantua Editions, which ships from Germany and shows UK prices in pounds. There is also a small painting in a charity auction:
- Her Eyes Are Blue: an archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag, made with Karl Lagerfeld’s cat Choupette, hand-signed, numbered and stamped with her paw. The smallest size is 30 x 38 cm (11.8 x 15 in), edition of 50, £206 from Gargantua Editions; larger sizes cost more.
- Max Renneisen: Paradise Lost (2022): a 160-page book of his nude paintings and drawings from 2015 to 2022, with a text by Michael Boss, 27.6 x 21.8 cm (10.9 x 8.6 in), hand-numbered edition of 500, £28 from Gargantua Editions.
- Having Fun in the Sun, 2026: a small oil on panel in the War Child Sound & Vision auction, bidding from £100 until 12 November 2026 (bid here).
- Paintings: small framed oils from £1,430 at Gargantua Editions, or contact the artist through his website.
Max Renneisen FAQs
Where is Max Renneisen from?
He was born in Hamburg in 1977 and is based in Berlin.
Can I buy a Max Renneisen print?
Yes. Her Eyes Are Blue, a signed archival pigment print, starts at £206 for the 30 x 38 cm size from Gargantua Editions.
What does Max Renneisen paint?
Nudes in invented Old Master landscapes, in his Paradise Lost series, and animals in Baroque-style settings, in his Menagerie series.
Has Max Renneisen shown in London?
Yes. He was in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 2016 and 2018. His War Child piece is on view at Iconic Images Gallery from 6 to 8 November 2026.
More from CoolCuration
- Art on a Postcard: another charity art sale, and one he has taken part in.
- Louis Fratino at David Zwirner review: more figurative painting worth seeing.
- Great Art Explained: a friendly way into the Old Masters he learns from.
- Best affordable art in the UK: prints and originals under £500.
Think we’re missing something, got something wrong, or want to be featured? Contact us.
Main image: Max Renneisen beneath Bernini’s elephant in Rome. Photo: Katharina Renneisen, courtesy the artist. Cropped and framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates, prices, auction results and market figures last checked: 28 October 2026.
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