“Ida Gerhardi – And Everything Danced”
30 August to 1 November 2026
Opening: Saturday, 29 August 2026, 5 pm
With the special exhibition “Ida Gerhardi – And Everything Danced”, Berlin’s Käthe Kollwitz Museum is shining a spotlight on an extraordinary modernist artist whose significance has long been underestimated. Around 40 paintings and drawings from Gerhardi’s years in Paris around 1905 reveal a painter who moved with confidence through the vibrant metropolis and was one of the first female artists to take Parisian nightlife and the world of dance as her subject.
Having lived in Paris since 1891, Ida Gerhardi (1862–1927) established herself as a portraitist and a well-connected figure on the international art scene. Her expressive dance and café scenes, as well as her haunting self-portraits, bear witness to an independent artistic vision. The fact that she strolled through Paris alone and visited dance halls was highly unusual for a woman around 1900 – and also made her a pioneer in her choice of subjects.
The friendship between Ida Gerhardi and Käthe Kollwitz is also explored. During her two-month stay in Paris in 1904, Kollwitz, accompanied by the art dealer Wilhelm Uhde (1874–1947), joined Gerhardi on her wanderings through the city’s pubs and dance halls. This encounter gave rise to a close friendship that endured for years, finding expression in their shared interest in self-portraiture.
Following several postponements due to the pandemic, the long-planned exhibition is now going ahead. It is also the first presentation of Ida Gerhardi’s work in Berlin for 25 years. An accompanying booklet will be published.