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New accents in the August Macke Room

Ursula Lütkemeyer (left) and Dr Tanja Pirsig-Marshall with the small bronze sculpture

August Macke (1887 – 1914) is one of the internationally best-known artists presented in the Westphalian Gallery in the Museum Kloster Bentlage. Born in 1887 in Meschede, Westphalia, the artist participated in the famous exhibitions of the “Blaue Reiter” (Blue Rider) in Munich, which presented current expressionist trends around 1910. He lived and worked in his own house in Bonn with his wife Elisabeth Erdmann-Macke. In 1914, he set off on a “Tunisreise” with his artist friends Paul Klee and Louis Moilliet. Only a few months later, he was killed in action in the First World War at the age of 27.   

Since the opening of the Westphalian Gallery in 1996, selected paintings from the holdings of the LWL Museum of Art and Culture, Münster have commemorated this famous and popular artist. Now the presentation there has been expanded with further loans. Dr Tanja Pirsig-Marshall, curator of modern art and deputy director of the Münster museum, is pleased about the new presentation together with Ursula Lütkemeyer M. A., deputy director of the Museum Kloster Bentlage.

At the centre: a small bronze sculpture by the artist showing a female nude, evidence that August Macke, who became known primarily as a painter and draughtsman, also explored other techniques, forms of expression and materials of art on several occasions in the years around 1910. The sculpture was cast around 1912 in the “Bildgießerei Hermann Noack” according to a model by August Macke, which is also in the LWL Museum of Art and Culture. The model and the bronze version exhibited in Bentlage were donated to the Münster museum by the Macke community of heirs.

In addition to the already well-known works – an early self-portrait, two flower still lifes and the painted large female nude – a view of Venice from 1905 and a full-length portrait study of his mother-in-law Sophie Gerhardt can now be seen in the exhibition space at Kloster Bentlage, showing how August Macke studies the unfolding of colour and its luminosity through contrasts of light and dark.

The paintings and sculpture can be viewed during the following museum opening hours with free admission: Tue – Sat 2pm – 6pm and Sun 10am – 6pm. The presentation of the 2G proof is currently required for access. Information: 05971 – 920610 (weekdays)/ 05971 – 918450 (museum box office during weekend opening hours).

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