Gestures, body language, and facial expressions are among the most direct forms of human emotional expression. For centuries, artists have explored joy, fear, anger, grief, and despair. The exhibition “Expressive! Prints from Dürer to Schlichter” brings together works spanning five centuries from the Kunstmuseum’s collection and focuses on the visual representation of emotions.
From Albrecht Dürer to Rembrandt and Guido Reni to Käthe Kollwitz and Rudolf Schlichter, the exhibition spans a wide range of artistic strategies. Watercolors, drawings, and prints demonstrate how emotions become legible symbols. It becomes clear that emotions possess an astonishing universality that transcends time—while also being shaped by their historical context. In their many nuances, these emotions provide a direct point of connection for the audience. The artworks speak to us, touch us, unsettle us, or move us. They can overwhelm us or quietly evoke compassion—and in doing so, create a connection between the people of the past and today’s viewers.
