31 October 2008 – 8 February 2009

Artist couples - Love, art and passion

Claudel & Rodin, Kahlo & Rivera (sic!) or Münter & Kandinsky – these are the couples that almost anybody who is interested in art knows.
Surprisingly, there is still no overarching exhibition analysing the theme “couples in art”. In a worldwide première, the Wallraf is showing how artists influenced each other through their love. To this end the exhibition takes a look at the lives, loves and work of twelve famous artist couples. This includes dramatic and scandal-ridden liaisons such as that of Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera or Camille Claudel & Auguste Rodin, and seemingly normal relationships à la Paula Modersohn-Becker & Otto Modersohn or Natalia Goncharova & Michail Larionov. No matter how the love affairs between the individual artist couples developed, the exhibition shows that what they all have in common is a powerful creative process. Even after their love had faded, a number of couples continued to influence each other profoundly in their artistic work. Thus, years after their separation Niki de Saint Phalle & Jean Tinguely permitted each other at all times to appraise critically what they were creating.


Roughly one hundred exhibits tell the story of the influence of love on art and of the resulting links between fine art, photography and design. The exhibition takes the visitor through some of the most fascinating periods of art and history: from Expressionism (Gabriele Münter & Wassily Kandinsky and Marianne von Werefkin & Alexej von Jawlensky) to Dadaism (Hannah Höch & Raoul Hausmann) and “Action Painting” (Lee Krasner & Jackson Pollock). The exhibition is supported by the Kunststiftung NRW (art foundation North Rhine-Westphalia) and after Cologne will go on to The Hague where it will be shown from 21 February at the Gemeentemuseum.

Address

Wallraff-Richartz-Museum - Sammlung Corboud
Martinstrasse 39
50667 Köln
phone +49 221 22 12 11 19
http://www.museenkoeln.de

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Wednesday-Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday-Sunday 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., closed on Monday.

Description of the Museum

The museum is one of the big classical galleries in Germany. Focusses of the collection are the departments of the Middle Ages, the Baroque (among others Rubens and Rembrandt) and the 19. century.

new building opened 2000; architect: O.M. Ungers

Within 10 days
starting exhibitions
ending exhibitions