THE DÜSSELDORF SCHOOL OF PAINTING 1819-1918

24 September 2011 to 22 January 2012

This exhibition will be held under the patronage of the German Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle, and the United States Ambassador to Germany, Philip D. Murphy

In three galleries comprising an exhibition space of 2300 m² (24,750 sq.ft.), approx. 400 important paintings of scenes from history and literature, landscapes and seascapes, genre scenes, still lifes and portraits will be presented. Drawn not only from the Museum’s own collection but also from internationally renowned collections, the exhibition will demonstrate the high quality and diversity of the artists involved in the Düsseldorf School

The International Influence of the Düsseldorf School of Painting

The exhibition will be highlighting several generations of immigrant students and comparing the School with other leading schools of painting across Europe and the USA (for example the Hudson River School). The international influence  of Düsseldorf’s art of the 19^th and early 20^th Century will be on display for the first time. Artists from across the world were drawn to the Rhine to study either at the Academy or privately, examples being Hans Frederik Gude from Norway, Fanny Churberg from Finland, the US Americans Emanuel Leutze and Albert Bierstadt, both of German descent, Arnold Böcklin from Switzerland and Ivan Shishkin from Russia. Some stayed for only a few months, whereas others stayed for the remainder of their lives, consequently having an impact on the local Düsseldorf art scene. The native German artists were receptive to international influences and sometimes worked closely together with those who had chosen Düsseldorf as their new home.

International economic and social changes in the 19^th and early 20^th Century were the foundation of the changes in demands made on both art and artists. The style of life and work, social interaction as well as aspects of marketing, the founding of clubs and societies and networking are all depicted in the pictures of the Düsseldorf School.

The Düsseldorf School of Painting’s Road to Modernism

Under the guidance of the Baltic German Eugène Dücker who was a teacher of landscape painting at the Düsseldorf Academy from 1872, the Düsseldorf School found its way towards Modernism at the end of the 19^th Century. Düsseldorf’s new generation of painting students oriented itself towards the Hague School, but also increasingly towards French role models such as the Impressionists. In the “Sonderbund” society founded in 1909 by artists, collectors and curators, the modern movement in Düsseldorf found its most distinct expression. The society’s important exhibitions at the Düsseldorf Kunstpalast including contributions from the European avantgarde provided particular proof of this.

Approximately 400 Works on Exhibition from around the World

The approximately 400 exhibits will not only comprise oil painting but also highlight the variety of the School’s graphic work, from preliminary sketches through to book illustrations. Furthermore the inclusion of sculpture will serve to demonstrate the close relationship between painterly and sculptural production in Düsseldorf. In addition to a comprehensive display of works from the museum’s own collection, numerous prestigious international loans from both public and private collections will complete an exceptional survey exhibition of the Düsseldorf School and the art of the 19^th and early 20^th Century.

We are delighted to be able to show such important works in Düsseldorf as Emanuel Leutze’s “Storming of the Teocalli by Cortez and His Troops“ from the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, Connecticut, and Paul Delaroche’s “The Children of Edward“ from the Louvre in Paris. Lenders to the exhibition also include such institutions as the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin, the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the National Museum in Oslo, the Nationalmuseum Stockholm and the Terra Foundation for American Art in Chicago.

A broad ranging accompanying program addressing the Düsseldorf School of Painting which has been developed in cooperation with various institutions in and around Düsseldorf, will complete the exhibition program.

Catalogue
On the occasion of the exhibition Michael Imhof Verlag will be publishing a two volume catalogue, edited by Bettina Baumgärtel with contributions by Valentina Anker, Frank Büttner, Wolfgang Cortjaens, Cordula Grewe, Ernst Haverkamp, Mai Levin, Hans Körner, Ekkehard Mai, Sabine Morgen, Birgit Verwiebe, Jochen Wierich, and others.
Retail price 68 Euros for both volumes
Museum price 49.90 Euros for both volumes

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Sponsors: Terra Foundation for American Art;* Kulturstiftung der Länder; Kunststiftung NRW; Kunststiftung Paffrath, Düsseldorf; Galerie an der Börse, Düsseldorf sowie zahlreiche Privatpersonen

*This exhibition is made possible through support from the Terra Foundation for American Art

The Terra Foundation for American Art is dedicated to fostering exploration, understanding and enjoyment of the visual arts of the United States for national and international audiences. Recognizing the importance of experiencing original works of art, the foundation provides opportunities for interaction and study, beginning with the presentation and growth of its own art collection in Chicago. To further cross-cultural dialogue on American art, the foundation supports and collaborates on innovative exhibitions, research and educational programs. Implicit in such activities is the belief that art has the potential both to distinguish cultures and to unite them.