Hamburg Kunsthalle in Germany: paintings, expositions

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Travelers who decide to visit one of the German cities - Hamburg, will receive aesthetic satisfaction by visiting the most famous sight of the city - the Kunsthalle Museum. Located in the city center, it attracts attention both with its appearance, because the building has unusual architectural forms, and with priceless content - art collections from the Middle Ages to the 21st century.

Art from the Middle Ages to the present day

The Kunsthalle Museum was founded by the Hamburg cultural community of art lovers. Thanks to the private contributions of the city residents, who paid 2/3 of the expenses, the construction of the museum began, and in 1869 it was opened. Then the building was expanded twice in 1921 and in 1997. It is currently one of the largest museums in Germany. It is located near the Central Station, is a real gem among museums, whose permanent collection, spanning seven centuriesart history (from hand-painted wooden medieval altars to large-scale canvases), attracts many visitors.

This is a great place to explore art history and the museum itself. The architecture of the building and the interior are striking in their scope and design. To visit the museum, you will need more than three hours of free time, or even a whole day. The museum's logistics are amazing. Period follows period, everything is described in great detail, interestingly and intelligibly. Each floor has a huge number of rooms (large and small). The pearls of the collection are paintings by such artists as Munch, Van Gogh, Klee, Manet, Renoir. Tired and hungry visitors can go to a cafe where they can have a bite to eat, drink delicious coffee and rest.

Permanent exhibition of the museum

More than 700 paintings from the Hamburg Kunsthalle are on permanent display. The museum exhibits an outstanding monument of Gothic art of the XIV century by master Bertram - an altar, the work was created in 1379.

There is also an altarpiece by Master Franke, by Rembrandt, a representative of 17th-century Dutch painting, and 19th-century German painting of the romantic period by Caspar David Friedrich, Philipp Otto Runge, Adolf Menzel and Max Liebermann. Among the works of the permanent exhibition, impressionism and classical modernism are represented by paintings by Max Beckmann, Wilhelm Lehmbruck, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Edvard Munch and Paul Klee. In addition, the Kunsthalle organizes twentythematic exhibitions every year.

Special Exhibitions

Hamburg's Kunsthalle is internationally recognized for the quality of its annual special exhibitions. They invariably attract thousands of visitors to the city. In January 2017, the museum hosted an exhibition of surrealists. Works by artists of this trend were presented, including Dali, Miro, Magritte and Ernest. Everyone can buy a variety of printed publications, stationery and souvenirs in the museum shop in the lobby.

In addition to catalogues, illustrated books and scholarly publications on the visual arts and related subjects, there is a large selection of posters, postcards and artist's publications, as well as unusual design elements and art supplies.

An interesting innovative project of the museum revealing the secrets of its work. Visitors will learn about how works are authenticated and restored, how to distinguish an original from a fake, what are the criteria for selecting exhibits for a museum, and the importance of frames in the works of artists.

Contemporary Gallery

The museum also has an extensive contemporary collection located on the second floor, called the Gallery of Modernity. It has been open to visitors since 1997. A separate building was built for her. In the gallery, famous artists exhibit their works, written after the 60s of the last century. Many recognized artists - Richard Serra, Yannis Kounellis, Ilya Kabakov, Jenny Holzerand others - have created works specially dedicated to this new gallery. So, exhibitions of surrealism and pop art are held only in the Gallery of Modernity. In the field of international contemporary art, the various contemporary positions of the Hamburg Kunsthalle in Germany are represented by pop art, conceptual art, video art and photography. Exhibitions are constantly changing in the Gallery, and there are always visitors who are interested in the exhibitions. In 2014 there was an exhibition dedicated to the interpretation of Malevich's black square.

Coin and engraving cabinets

Coins, medals and engravings are exhibited in two separate rooms of the Hamburg Kunsthalle. The number of exhibits exceeds two and a half thousand. In the showcases you can find coins and medals from different times and peoples. Thanks to patrons, the collection of engravings is constantly replenished. Currently, there are already about a hundred thousand.

Study room and library

The Study Room (Department of Printing, Drawings and Photography) is the reading room of the museum's library. The Public Reference Library is the largest library in northern Germany with over 160,000 titles. In the Hamburg Kunsthalle, interested readers can find a we alth of background information, especially on topics related to its permanent collection. The Kunsthalle works in accordance with the tasks set: collection and study of works of art, measures to preserve the collected material and familiarize visitors with it.

Art can help make learningschoolchildren easier and more fun. German educational institutions take full advantage of the opportunity to introduce children to art from an early age. A visit to the Hamburg Kunsthalle is included in the program of school subjects. Guided group tours are very popular.

Museum Services

The value of museum workers is in their unobtrusive presence and care for visitors. All museum sites are fully wheelchair accessible. Two additional disabled parking spaces are available (free of charge) at the entrance to the Gallery of Modern Art (before the railroad crossing). If necessary, museum staff will help people with limited mobility. The car park has a bell next to the parking spot. By calling it, the visitor can be sure that an employee of the Hamburg Kunsthalle will come for him. In Hamburg, as in many other European cities, much attention is paid to a special program, which in our country is known as "accessible environment".

German Kunsthalle has an impressive area - 13 thousand km2. Of course, tourists, when buying a ticket, try to get around all the halls in one day, or even in a few hours. This is quite tiring and in the end, many just fall down. For the convenience of visitors, the museum administration installed special chairs for the disabled and portable folding chairs near some of the paintings.

Walking around the halls of the Kunsthalle on your own and stopping wherever you want is, of course,OK. However, for those who want to learn more about the history of the museum and its exhibits, guided tours are organized. For tourists, they are held in foreign languages: English, French, Russian, Italian and Spanish.