Heads - masked, transformed

Last night, Red Baron was invited to a vernissage at Freiburg's Museum für Neue Kunst. The art collection of a couple from Berlin had been arranged for an exhibition.

Anna and Michael Haas, who had grown up in the Black Forest, had returned to their roots. The couple specializes in collecting "heads."

The waiting crowd was enormous.

As I read in the flyer, "The human countenance: it reflects personality, reveals emotions and states of mind - occasionally it also imparts things that one would rather hide ... The exhibition presents over ninety works from the Haas collection, spanning the fourteenth century to the present day. The artworks have one thing in common: they bear witness to their time, and yet they are timeless - making them both topical and emotionally compelling."

Red Baron waiting through the speeches (©GK)

After the usual speeches, Red Baron entered the exhibition somewhat indifferently but was immediately drawn to a Métamatics, i.e., a kinetic art installation by the outstanding Jean Tinguely.

After having seen the first portraits, I became overwhelmed. The museum management had arranged the art objects in groups. Still, I shall present 17 paintings chronologically so that you may follow the development of styles and techniques over the centuries. Here we go:

Jacob of Utrecht, Christ on the cross around 1500

Zaccaria Zacchi, Head of a Young Woman, 1510

Rotger Lembke, Singing Man around 1631

Grazio Marinell, Two psychological studies Joy and Despair around 1700

Pierre Alexandre Wille, Burlesque: A theatrical union of character heads 1803

Frederic Bezillo, Young woman with lowered eyes 1808

Henri Fantin-Latour, Self-portrait 1885

Paula Modersohn-Becker, Self-portrait, around 1903

George Rouault, Clown tragique 1911

Giorgio de Chirico, Autoritratto 1923

Otto Dix, Bawd 1923

Adolf Erbaloeh, Portrait of Anna Hirzel-Langenhan

Elfriede Lohse-Waechter, The Absinthe Drinker, Self Portrait 1931

Ludwig Meidner Self-portrait 1936

Francis Picabla, Trois Mimes around 1936

Loula Soutter, Portrait d'homme moustachu around 1940

Eva Aeppli, Without title, 1960

What a collection and what an exhibition. Unfortunately, the presentation seems limited to the Museum für Neue Kunst in Freiburg. 

 The Michelin Guide awards three stars to restaurants where dining is worth a trip. Attention all art lovers from all over Germany! Red Baron gives Heads - masked, transformed three stars. Come to Freiburg, visit the exhibition, and, as a bonus, enjoy Baden cuisine and wine.

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