Gothic Modern: From Darkness to Light

Arnold Böcklin, Self-Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle, 1872, Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin.

This exhibition presents art from the period 1875 to 1925 alongside works from Europe of the Middle Ages and Northern Europe during the renaissance. For many artists, the power of the Gothic aesthetic to arouse deep emotions was highly inspiring. Faith and doubt, love and sexuality, identity and social roles are just some of the themes addressed in the exhibition. 

At the heart of the exhibition are artists such as Käthe Kollwitz, Edvard Munch, George Minne, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Max Beckmann, and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Their work is presented in dialogue with notable forerunners, including Hans Holbein the Younger, Albrecht Dürer, and Lucas Cranach the Elder. “Gothic Modern” is the first international exhibition to explore this juxtaposition. Here you will encounter a broad spectrum of art forms, ranging from prints and paintings to drawings and sculpture. 
 
The Gothic is often associated with elements of darkness and mysticism, the frightening and the inexplicable. It also embraces a sense of otherness, a culture in opposition to the prevalent. The exhibition is divided into seven chapters: Journeys to the Gothic, Pilgrims of art, Encounters with death, Community and traditions, Gothic variations, Love and attraction, From darkness to light.