The Kupferstichkabinett is home to one of the most important collections of drawings and printed works by Albrecht Dürer anywhere in the world. The masterpieces gathered together here give a striking demonstration of the breadth of his artistic production. With this exhibition, the Kupferstichkabinett is opening one of its greatest treasure chests.

Alongside Dürer’s Meisterstich engravings and woodcut series (such as Apocalypse and Life of the Virgin), key drawings will be on display, such as Dürer’s Mother, TheWire-Drawing Mill, along with numerous sheets from the famous Sketchbook of His Journey to the Netherlands. With its 120 exhibits, the show will also publicly explore the multifaceted nature of the collection itself for the first time. It leads from the beginnings of the Berlin Kupferstichkabinett in 1831 and the founding of the German Empire in 1871 through the Gründerzeit and the Nazi years to the division of the collections after the war and their subsequent reunification at the Kulturforum in 1994.

In this sense, the exhibition does not just explore art-historical aspects, but also aspects relating to the history of collecting as well as broader cultural-historical themes. It touches on the formation of Germany’s national identity, on the transfer of artworks during the Napoleonic era and its effect on the European art market, and on one of the first ever controversies of attribution in German art history.

Curator

The exhibition is curated by Michael Roth, Deputy Chief Collection Manager for the collection “Deutsche Kunst bis 1800” at the Kupferstichkabinett.

Publication

The exhibition will be accompanied by a catalogue (ISBN 978-3-7757-5475-0, hardcover, 384 pages, 200 reproductions, €48) published by Hatje Cantz Verlag.

Media cooperation: WELTKUNST

A special exhibition of the Kupferstichkabinett – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin