"Cubisme - Cubism: An Artistic Watershed in Europe 1906-1926"
2003-05-18 until 2003-08-03
Sprengel Museum
Hannover, , DE

This large exhibition presents Cubism as the first modern movement in 20th century art. From the start, artists such as Picasso, Braque and Gris were popular both in western Europe as well as in Germany and Russia. The first to exhibit Cubist work in Russia was the collector Sergei L. Schschukin, who purchased a Picasso (Woman with a Fan, 1906) in 1908, bringing it to Moscow. He soon followed these initial purchases with further works by Picasso, and Braque.

Around then, the Moscow collector Ivan Morossov also bought Picassos. Villa Schschukin in the grand Snamenski Lane was open to the public from 1909, providing many Moscow artists, such as M. Larionov and N. Gont-scharova, David Buliyuk, Kasimir Malevitsch, Ivan Kliun, Vladimir Tatlin and Wassili Kandinsky with their first exposure to French Cubism.

Two German artists who had close contact with French colleagues brought the Cubist style to their native Rheinland (in western Germany), Franz Marc and August Macke, were especially friendly with Robert and Sonja Delaunay. This new art movement left a strong impression on those who were confronted with it. Places where exhibitions were held, such as Herwath Walden's 'Der Sturm' gallery in Berlin, spread the Cubist message and won over many German artists of the day.

This exhibition's aim is to show significant western European Cubist artwork from collections in both western Europe, including many prominent pieces from the Sprengel Museum Hannover as well as from French museums, together with paintings from Moscow and Saint Petersberg collections. These contain works from the Schschukin and Morossov collections, which will be juxtaposed with Russian Cubist pieces from the Tretyakov collection. The frequently overlooked relationship between East and West in Europe, illustrates parallel developments in Modernism which then influenced the path 20th century Russian art was to take.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a bilingual catalogue containing texts by illustrious Russian art historians and colour reproductions of most of the works included in the show.

Related Links:

Indepth Arts Resources for Germany

Other Important Exhibitions in Germany