[1][2] Together with his wife Mathilde, Max Beckmann went into exile to the Netherlands in 1937 after his works were identified as Degenerate Art by the Nazi government.

[4] In 1943 Beckmann painted the Self Portrait Yellow-Pink in Amsterdam, while awaiting a visa to the United States.

[5][4] He painted the portrait for his wife Mathilde “Quappi“ von Kaulbach, who assisted him throughout their marriage by keeping track of his catalogue raisonnee.

[6] That the portrait was on the market was quite a surprise, and in Germany there was no comparable work of Beckmann on sale since the end of World War II.

[7] The portrait was said to be exhibited in the company's art collection and made accessible to the public for free.