Hmm, not sure about the title of this small exhibition at the Royal Academy but the content was extraordinary, leaving me thirsting for more information about the artists, several of whom were completely new to me.
As with so much art history (HIStory full-stop) we’ve been fed a version showing only men’s work. In this exhibition we get to see a different angle – at last.
The portrait of a confident and self-possessed young girl above is startling – then to learn from the caption that it was painted by Ottilie Reylaender when she was only eighteen years old. It is unfortunately her only piece included – I wanted to see more of her work.
The most famous artists on display are Käthe Kollwitz (who features in a separate post next week) and Paula Modersohn-Becker whose life was tragically cut short in childbirth at only 32. Her paintings of women and girls are in direct opposition to the dominant male gaze we’re so used to seeing.
This still life painted in 1906 is influenced by Cezanne and predates Matisse.
I’d never heard of Gabriele Münter whose paintings of remembered people and scenes have freshness and spontaneity. She had a creative and life partnership with Kandinsky for many years and was one of the founding members of the German Expressionists.
Who knew? More of this please.
