INTERVENTION in the permanent exhibition:
Kollwitz meets colleagues

Before the museum can move into its final, larger exhibition space on the first floor of the theatre building and thus have space for temporary exhibitions in addition to the exhibition of works by Käthe Kollwitz, small, temporary special exhibitions in the “Intervention” format will simply be integrated into the collection presentation to bridge the gap. Last year, the museum was able to show rare prints and unique drawings by Käthe Kollwitz from two private collections in three thematically different “Interventions”. This year, the museum is focussing on Käthe Kollwitz’ artist colleagues. In the first INTERVENTION, works by the sculptor Wilhelm Loth (1920-1993) were shown, followed by works by the animal sculptor August Gaul (1869-1921) in the second intervention.

Following on from the successful special exhibition on August Gaul’s 150th birthday “Of all the artists, only you were as dear to me as a friend” in winter 2019/2020, we are delighted to present the sculptor’s remarkable animal sculptures to a wider public once again. The sculptures on display have been given to the Kollwitz Museum together with prints and archive material on permanent loan by Charlotte Hansen-Gaul, the artist’s granddaughter.

Born in Großauheim, August Gaul is one of the most important artists of modernism. The sculptor was a close colleague of Käthe Kollwitz for many years, although their artistic approaches differed. While Gaul became an innovator of German sculpture with his animal figures, Kollwitz was able to establish a new kind of expressive art with her prints inspired by the social conditions of the time.

 

Gaul created monumental sculptures in stone and bronze as well as small and miniature formats and focussed on the animal motif. “I don’t want to pedantically imitate nature at all, but rather capture the typical and its emotional core. Above all, I want to make a sculptural work. (…) What attracts me to animals is essentially of an artistic nature. I make animals because it makes me happy,” explained Gaul in an interview with the publicist Franz Servaes in 1917.

August Gaul and Käthe Kollwitz used the same opportunities to publicise their art. Both artists had been committed members of the Berlin Secession since the turn of the century and presented their works there from 1899. After 1918, they also worked together in the Prussian Academy of Arts, both were represented by the gallery owner Paul Cassirer (1871-1926) and were companions of Gerhart Hauptmann, Max Liebermann, Heinrich Zille and Ernst Barlach. The latter described the animal sculptor as “extremely selfless”, who also supported Käthe Kollwitz in her autodidactic endeavours to become a sculptor: “Today […] Gaul was in the studio and looked at my work at my request. Gave me some good practical advice. Was really nice as always.” (Diary of 21 November 1916)

The INTERVENTION AUGUST GAUL runs from July 17, to October 6, 2024, extended until October 13, 2024.