Exhibition of German Expressionists

Toward the end of October the Klovićevi Dvori Gallery will open an exhibition of the great authors of German expressionism who were working during one of the most powerful movements in the history of modern art at the beginning of the 20th century and impacted the work of many authors in the subsequent decades.

On October 23rd, the Klovićevi Dvori Gallery will open an exhibition of German expressionists featuring 120 graphics and drawings by artists from one of the most powerful movements in modern European painting. The pieces have been collected from a number of museums and galleries in Germany and represent the works of all the major artists whose creations are related to “The Bridge” and “The Blue Rider” groups. As an artistic movement, expressionism developed in response to the need for a change in the old order, leaving a huge mark on modern art. In the 40s and 50s of last century it had a very strong influence on artists in New York. The group “Bridge” was established in 1905 in Dresden and in its manifest it highlighted the importance of emotional experience as a test of moral and artistic value. The audience in Zagreb will be able to see the works of authors from that group, such as: Erich Heckel, Ernest-Ludwig Kirshner, Otto Müller, Emil Nolde, Mach Pecchstein and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, and one of the main attractions for most visitors will be the works of Vasilij Kandinsky. The group “Blue Riders” was established in Munich in 1911 and was named after one of his paintings. That group included  Franz Marc, August Macke and Paul Klee, whose pieces will also be on exhibit in Zagreb, as well as works by Heinrich Campedonk, Lyonel Feininger, Alexej von Jawlensky, Gabriela Münter and Mariana von Werefkin. The group of German expressionists includes also Max Beckmann, whose works will also be presented, along with Otto Dix and Ludwig Meidner.
This is one of the most valuable exhibitions ever in Klovićevi Dvori. The price tag on these works by authors who made such a powerful impact on modern art is estimated at 100 million Euros. Despite the strong influence on modern paining, the critics at that time did not recognize the importance of the movement, therefore the expressionists were often referred to in derogatory terms and their art was proclaimed incurable disesase.