Profile
More than 150 years ago, a number of Bremen citizens came up with a museum concept which is very much up-to-date now, as public authorities are cutting back their funds for culture: under the chairmanship of Senator Hieronymus Klugkist, 34 lovers of art founded the "Arts Society in Bremen" in the year 1823, based on the idea of "spreading and refining the sense of beauty". In 1849, this "civic action group" opened its own museum building in the rampart complex of Bremen; at first, it was meant as a "locality" for exhibitions, then it was used to accommodate an own collection.
Until today, the Kunsthalle Bremen is privately sponsored - by one of the eldest arts societies in Germany. Much of the work is done by volunteers. The collection is consistent with this civic tradition: the Kunsthalle Bremen gives an overview of 600 years of European art, starting with one of the early European panel paintings, the altar by Masolino from the year 1423, and extensive holdings of Dutch paintings from the 17th century.
Between 1899 and 1914, the first director, Gustav Pauli, developed the Kunsthalle Bremen into one of the leading collections of modern art. He purchased important paintings by French and German Impressionists such as Édouard Manet, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh as well as Max Liebermann , Max Slevogt , Lovis Corinth and Fritz von Uhde. Thus, he laid the foundations for the quality and the concept of the collection.
It is focussed mainly on German and French art of the 19th century - including works of painters of the Barbizon School, the Nabis artists, the extensive Eugène Delacroix collection as well as paintings and graphics by Pablo Picasso , but also the large groups of works by Max Beckmann , Paula Modersohn-Becker and the German Expressionists. In addition, the Kunsthalle houses the Department of prints and drawings: with more than 200,000 hand drawings and graphic sheets, including large holdings of graphics by Albrecht Dürer as well as 350 sheets by Pablo Picasso , it is one of the largest in Europe.
Under the present director, Wulf Herzogenrath (since 1994), the New Media have been incorporated in the collection: in the media rooms on the upper floor, the Essay by John Cage and the Light Room by Otto Piene can be seen - two important early statements in dealing with light, sound and movement in contemporary art. Nam June Paik, the father of video art, is represented in Bremen by his Niche for Bremen and the Video Synthesizer. Changing installations by young artists give an outlook on contemporary art. The Kunstverein sponsors current art movements by presenting the "Böttcherstraße in Bremen" art award and arranging exhibitions of the "Förderkreis für Gegenwartskunst" ("Society for the Promotion of Contemporary Art").
With regard to its exhibition program, the Kunsthalle Bremen is committed to its collection history and scientific tradition. All large public exhibitions of the past years have centred on a main work of the collection or on a significant group of works: "Auguste Rodin" (1992), "Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec" (1994), "Max Liebermann " (1995/96), "Fritz von Uhde" (1998), "The Blue Rider" (2000), "Van Gogh: The Fields" (2002/03), "Monet and Camille - Portraits of Women in Impressionism" (2005/06) and "Paula Modersohn-Becker and Art in Paris around 1900 - From Cézanne to Picasso" (2007/08).
To continue displaying all the art treasures in the depot and large-scale special exhibitions, the Kunstverein is now planning to extend the Kunsthalle.
represented artists
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Contact Information
Kunsthalle Bremen
Am Wall 207
28195 Bremen (Germany)
Opening Time:
We-Su 10-17h, Tu -21h
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