Apollo Magazine

Making Modernism: Paula Modersohn-Becker, Käthe Kollwitz, Gabriele Münter and Marianne Werefkin

The Royal Academy shines a light on the women artists who were central to the development of German Expressionism

Circus – Before the Show (1908–10), Marianne Werefkin. Museo Comunale d'Arte Moderna, Ascona

Circus – Before the Show (1908–10), Marianne Werefkin. Museo Comunale d'Arte Moderna, Ascona

The Royal Academy in London explores the central role of women artists in the creation of German Expressionism (12 November–12 February 2023). Shining a light on the work of Käthe Kollwitz, Paula Modersohn-Becker, Gabriele Münter and Marianne Werefkin, the show reveals how these artists, though less well-known than their male contemporaries such as Franz Marc or Wassily Kandinsky, were central to the development of avant-garde ideas. The exhibition considers how each of these artists sought to reframe traditional subjects such as self-portraiture, the female body, still-life and landscape. Highlights include Werefkin’s haunting painting Twins (1909), for which she drew inspiration from Gauguin and Japanese ukiyo–e prints, as well as Modersohn-Becker’s tender Girl with Child (1902). Find out more from the Royal Academy’s website.

Girl with Child (1902), Paula Modersohn-Becker. Kunstmuseum Den Haag

Twins (1909), Marianne Werefkin. Fondazione Marianna Werefkin, Museo Comunale d’Arte Moderna, Ascona

 

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