Carl Einstein (1885–1940) was a radical German writer, critic, and art historian whose work was central to the rise of European Modernism. His experimental novel Bebuquin (1912) broke apart conventional narrative structures, reflecting his broader commitment to intellectual and artistic rebellion. Beyond literature, Einstein was deeply engaged in revolutionary politics, actively supporting anti-fascist and leftist movements. His life and work testify to a refusal of compromise, whether in art, politics, or thought.

He is equally renowned for his groundbreaking text Negro Sculpture (1915), the first critical study of African sculpture published in Europe. In this dense and provocative essay, Einstein challenged Eurocentric prejudices and positioned African art at the heart of modernist transformations. The book became indispensable to the European avant-garde and remains a touchstone for understanding how radical aesthetics and political commitments intersected in his vision of a new cultural order.

Einstein went on to live a life marked by exile, war, and activism, fighting in the Spanish Civil War and later fleeing Nazi-occupied France. In 1940, facing capture, he took his own life near the Franco-Spanish border.