Frankfurt’s Schirn: images of Africa

This incredible feeling of freedom and Vastness, even of adventure, and the mysteries, foreign countries, promise to need to have many in Wilhelmine Germany, which had stood in front of Wilhelm Kuhnerts images. People who have not dared or is it doubted, and could not afford to travel to the Black continent. Where Germany had the colony of East Africa. Lions, elephants, giraffes, the artist drew on the spot to you in detail to these sketches at home in his Studio in Berlin and to paint naturalistic with oil Paint on canvas.

Michael Holzer

culture editor of the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

F. A. Z.

The Schirn Kunsthalle is dedicated to the painter currently an exhibition with the title “king of the animals. Wilhelm Kuhnert, and the image of Africa“. It leads to the audience that it is sometimes a single painter, the parts of our perceptions of the world dominate. Because that is especially shows a striking resemblance to this presentation: that Kuhnert is essential for the image of Africa we have in Europe but also in America. He has it marked. His depictions of animals were ubiquitous. Even on chocolate wraps you found. They were used as illustrations for Zoological books such as “Brehm’s life of animals” or were used as display images in schools in biology classes. A number of collectors supplied with the Original from the Hand of the painter who lived between 1865 and 1926. Today his paintings are sought by collectors. He is one of the great unknown well-Known of modern art. The is now remedied.

colonialism and exoticism of the works

With about 120 works, the Schirn for the first time, a comprehensive overview of his OEuvre. Not only Kuhnerts monumental and truly scenic paintings, but also studies, print graphics, brochures and publications with illustrations of his works. The historical Background is illuminated, is self-evident. The work Kuhnerts arose in the epoch of colonialism. And of the exoticism, which is reflected in the fact, also includes the images supplied by the painter.