The Hamburger Kunsthalle is the art museum of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Germany. It is one of the largest art museums in the country. The museum consists of three connected buildings, dating from 1869 (main building), 1921 (Kuppelsaal) and 1997 (Galerie der Gegenwart), located in the

Altstadt ''Altstadt'' is the German language word for "old town", and generally refers to the historical town or city centre within the old town or city wall, in contrast to younger suburbs outside. '' Neustadt'' (new town), the logical opposite of ''Alt ...

district between the Hauptbahnhof (central train station) and the two Alster lakes. The name ''

Kunsthalle A kunsthalle is a facility that mounts temporary art exhibitions, similar to an art gallery. It is distinct from an art museum by not having a permanent collection. In the German-speaking regions of Europe, ''Kunsthallen'' are often operated by ...

'' indicates the museum's history as an 'art hall' when it was founded in 1850. Today, the museum houses one of the few art collections in Germany that cover seven centuries of European art, from the Middle Ages to the present day. The Kunsthalle's permanent collections focus on North German painting of the 14th century, paintings by Dutch, Flemish and Italian artists of the 16th and 17th centuries, French and German drawings and paintings of the 19th century, and international modern and contemporary art.

History

The museum collection traces its origin to 1849, when it was initially established by the Hamburg Kunstverein, which was founded in 1817. The collection opened to the public a year later as the Städtische Gallerie (municipal painting gallery). The collection grew quickly, and it soon became necessary to provide a suitable building. The original red-brick Kunsthalle building was constructed from 1863 to 1869. It was designed by architects Georg Theodor Schirrmacher and Hermann von der Hude, and financed largely through private donations. The Kunsthalle's first director was the art historian and educator Alfred Lichtwark (1852–1914). His successor during the interwar period was Gustav Pauli. He oversaw the completion of the Kuppelsaal (domed-hall) extension, the museum's first annex, designed by Fritz Schumacher and erected between 1914 and 1921. In 1994, a painting of the Kunsthalle was involved in the so-called Frankfurt art theft. While on loan to the

Kunsthalle Schirn The Schirn Kunsthalle is a Kunsthalle in Frankfurt, Germany, located in the old city between the Römer and the Frankfurt Cathedral. The Schirn exhibits both modern and contemporary art. It is the main venue for temporary art exhibitions in ...

in Frankfurt, the painting ''Nebelschwaden'' by

Caspar David Friedrich Caspar David Friedrich (5 September 1774 – 7 May 1840) was a 19th-century German Romantic landscape painter, generally considered the most important German artist of his generation. He is best known for his mid-period allegorical landscape ...

was stolen. After negotiations with the thieves, a lawyer bought back the painting; when the Kunsthalle refused to pay him the agreed "consideration", he sued and won. In 1997, the museum opened the Galerie der Gegenwart building, an extension of that was designed by Cologne architect Oswald Mathias Ungers and that is dedicated to the Kunsthalle's contemporary art collections. The cubic building sits on a monolithic base at a prominent location in close proximity to the Binnenalster.

Collections

The Kunsthalle is divided into four different sections: the Gallery of Old Masters, the Gallery of 19th-century Art, the Gallery of Classical Modernism, and the Gallery of Contemporary Art. The highlights of the collection include the medieval alters of Master Bertram and

Master Francke Master Francke O.P. (or Meister Francke, Frater Francke, respectively German for "Master Francke" and Latin for "Brother Francke") was a North German Gothic painter and Dominican friar, born ca. 1380 in the Lower Rhine region or possibly Zut ...

, 17th-century Dutch paintings, works of early to mid 19th-century German Romanticism, and collections of impressionism and classic modernism. The Kunsthalle is also known for its international contemporary art collections and exhibitions, which include post-1950 Pop Art, conceptual art, video art and photography.

Old Masters

The Old Masters Collection shows works by Bartel Beham, Bernardo Bellotto, Lucas Cranach the Younger, Master Francke, Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes, Johann Georg Hinz, Jan Massys,

Giambattista Pittoni Giambattista Pittoni or Giovanni Battista Pittoni (6 June 1687 – 6 November 1767) was a Venetian painter of the late Baroque or Rococo period. He was among the founders of the Academy of Fine Arts of Venice, of which in 1758 he became the s ...

Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally consi ...

, Peter Paul Rubens, Jacob Isaacksz van Ruisdael and

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Giovanni Battista Tiepolo ( , ; March 5, 1696 – March 27, 1770), also known as Giambattista (or Gianbattista) Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice who painted in the Rococo style, considered an impo ...

, among others. Meister Bertram von Minden - Grabow Altarpiece - WGA14309

19th-century art

The Gallery of 19th-century Art shows work by Carl Blechen,

Arnold Böcklin Arnold Böcklin (16 October 182716 January 1901) was a Swiss symbolist painter. Biography He was born in Basel. His father, Christian Frederick Böcklin (b. 1802), was descended from an old family of Schaffhausen, and engaged in the silk tra ...

, Gustave Courbet,

Edgar Degas Edgar Degas (, ; born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, ; 19 July 183427 September 1917) was a French Impressionist artist famous for his pastel drawings and oil paintings. Degas also produced bronze sculptures, prints and drawings. Degas is es ...

, Anselm Feuerbach,

, Jean-Léon Gérôme, Wilhelm Leibl, Max Liebermann, Édouard Manet, Adolph Menzel, Claude Monet,

Auguste Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor, generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a uniqu ...

and Philipp Otto Runge, among others. Caspar David Friedrich - Wanderer above the sea of fog.jpg, C. D. Friedrich: '' Wanderer above the Sea of Fog'' (1818) Caspar_David_Friedrich_-_Das_Eismeer_-_Hamburger_Kunsthalle_-_02.jpg, C. D. Friedrich:
'' The Sea of Ice'' (1824) 1877 Manet Nana anagoria.jpg, Édouard Manet:
'' Nana'' (1877) Makart hans der einzug karls v in antwerpen.jpg, Hans Makart:
' (1878) Liebermann1902Jacobterrasse.jpg, Max Liebermann:
''Jacob Restaurant'' (1902) Jean-Léon Gérôme, Phryne revealed before the Areopagus (1861) - 01.jpg, Jean-Léon Gérôme:
''

Phryne before the Areopagus ''Phryne before the Areopagus'' () is an 1861 painting by the French artist Jean-Léon Gérôme. The subject matter is Phryne, a legendary courtesan in ancient Greece who was put on trial for impiety. Phryne was acquitted after her defender Hypere ...

'' (1861) Paul Gauguin 009.jpg, Paul Gauguin:
''Breton Boys Bathing'' (1888)

Modern art

The Classical Modernism gallery shows works by Francis Bacon, Max Beckmann, Lovis Corinth, James Ensor, Max Ernst, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Paul Klee, Oskar Kokoschka, Paula Modersohn-Becker,

Edvard Munch Edvard Munch ( , ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter. His best known work, ''The Scream'' (1893), has become one of Western art's most iconic images. His childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement and the dr ...

, Emil Nolde and Pablo Picasso, among others. Edvard Munch - Madonna (1895) - Hamburger Kunsthalle.jpg,

:
''

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

'' (1895) Marc-elephant.jpg,

Franz Marc Franz Moritz Wilhelm Marc (8 February 1880 – 4 March 1916) was a German painter and printmaker, one of the key figures of German Expressionism. He was a founding member of ''Der Blaue Reiter'' (The Blue Rider), a journal whose name later b ...

:
''Elephant'' (1907) Kirchner - Selbstbildnis mit Modell.jpg, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner:
''Self-portrait with model'' (1910) Paul Klee, Revolution des Viadukts, 1937.jpg, Paul Klee:
''Revolution of the Viaduct'' (1937)

Contemporary art

The Gallery of Contemporary Art shows works by Joseph Beuys, Tracey Emin, David Hockney, Rebecca Horn, Ilya Kabakov, On Kawara, Yves Klein,

Kitty Kraus Kitty or Kittie may refer to: Animals * Cat, a small, domesticated carnivorous mammal ** Kitten, a young cat Film * Kitty Films, an anime production company in Japan * ''Kitty'' (1929 film), based on the Deeping novel; the first British talkin ...

, Robert Morris, Hermann Nitsch,

George Segal George Segal Jr. (February 13, 1934 – March 23, 2021) was an American actor. He became popular in the 1960s and 1970s for playing both dramatic and comedic roles. After first rising to prominence with roles in acclaimed films such as ''Ship o ...

, Richard Serra, Franz Erhard Walther and Andy Warhol, among others.

Temporary exhibitions

The Hamburg Kunsthalle continuisly carries out temporary exhibitions on contemporary and historic art, in addition to its constant rotation of temporary exhibitions. Yearly there are on average 20 special exhibitions.

Past temporary exhibitions

* 2010–2011: Cosmos Runge. The Dawn of Romanticism * 2011–2012: Max Liebermann. Pioneer of Modern Art * 2012–2013: Giacometti. The Playing Fields * 2013–2014: Serial Attitudes, Repetition as an artistic method since the 1960s * 2013–2014:

Alfred Flechtheim Alfred Flechtheim (1 April 1878 – 9 March 1937) was a German Jewish art dealer, art collector, journalist and publisher persecuted by the Nazis. Early years Flechtheim was born into a Jewish merchant family; his father, Emil Flechtheim, was a g ...

.com, Art Dealer of the Avant-Garde * 2014–2015: ars viva Prize for Fine Arts * 2014–2015: Max Beckmann. The Still Lifes * 2014–2015: Feuerbach’s Muses —

Lagerfeld Lagerfeld is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Cardinal Lagerfield, a character in the video game Resonance of Fate * Karl Lagerfeld (1933–2019), German fashion designer, artist and photographer * Otto Lagerfeld (1881–1967), ...

’s Models * 2014–2016: SPOT ON, Masterpieces from the Hamburger Kunsthalle * 2015–2016: Nolde in Hamburg

Gallery

File:Hamburger-kunsthalle-alter-treppenaufgang.jpg, Old staircase File:Hamburger-kunsthalle-eingangshalle.jpg, Stairwell at the entrance File:Hamburger-kunsthalle-ausstellungshalle.jpg, Exhibition hall

References

External links

*
Freunde der Kunsthalle
(friends' association) *
Online shop

The Cube Restaurant
in the Gallery of Contemporary Art of the Hamburger Kunsthalle
Hamburger Kunsthalle
on Hamburg Tourism {{Authority control Art museums and galleries in Germany Museums in Hamburg Buildings and structures in Hamburg-Mitte Art museums established in 1869 1869 establishments in Germany Tourist attractions in Hamburg