From Dürer to Piranesi at the Kunsthalle Mannheim: Printmaking as an Art Experience
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From Dürer to Piranesi: A Journey Through the Art of the Printed Image
The Kunsthalle Mannheim dedicates an exhibition to the collection of Anton von Klein, making printmaking tangible as a medium of knowledge, education, and aesthetic experience. About 80 sheets lead from the German Renaissance through the Dutch and Flemish schools to France, England, and Italy.
Line, Light, and Scholarly Curiosity
At the center is Anton von Klein, professor of fine arts at the court of Elector Karl Theodor. With a keen sense, he used images to convey knowledge visually. His collection was created in the spirit of the Enlightenment and combines art historical consideration with cultural education.
Masterpieces of European Printmaking
The exhibition gathers works by Albrecht Dürer, Hendrick Goltzius, Bernhard Rode, and Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Included in the displayed works is Dürer's print The Prodigal Son from around 1496. Well-placed lines, contrasting hatching, and precise forms make visible how drawers, engravers, and workshop communities created visual reality.
A Collection as a Knowledge Archive
The Anton von Klein collection, with around 23,000 prints, is one of the earliest bourgeois teaching collections in the German-speaking world. It reached the Kunsthalle Mannheim in 1922. The exhibition focuses not only on famous artist names but also on the often-overlooked players behind the sheets and the technical processes of printmaking.
Curating and New Perspectives
The exhibition is curated by Dr. Ursula Drahoss, supported by Alessia Tardivo. As the kickoff of an exhibition series, the presentation connects collection history, science history, and art history. The accompanying digitization and scholarly exploration of the collection opens additional access to this significant inventory.
Art Experience at the Kunsthalle Mannheim
The exhibition atmosphere comes alive through concentrated work observation: Small formats demand closeness, the materiality of the paper calls for a slow gaze, while finest lines create entire image spaces. Thus, printmaking is experienced not merely as a reproduction but as an independent art form with high visual and intellectual density.
Conclusion: Discover Printmaking Live
From Dürer to Piranesi offers an experience of art that is both learned and sensual. Visitors encounter significant sheets of European art history and discover how images shape knowledge, interpretation of the world, and aesthetic experience. A visit to the Kunsthalle Mannheim enriches the view of printmaking and makes the cultural significance of this collection immediately tangible.
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- Website: https://www.kuma.art/de/ausstellungen/von-duerer-bis-piranesi
