July 14 Through December 30, 2007
At The Busch-Reisinger Museum (more about the Busch-Reisinger Museum)

Franz von Stuck, Amazon, 1897 (cast after 1905). Bronze, 64.2 x 46.4 x 17.3 cm. Busch-Reisinger Museum, Anonymous gift in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Busch-Reisinger Museum, 2003.132. Photo: Photographic Services © President and Fellows of Harvard College.

The examination of German artists’ use of myth in the 20th century is particularly compelling given Germany’s role in two world wars as well as the Third Reich’s persecution of modern artists and use of myths for its own political ends. This exhibition features sculptures by Stuck, Sintenis, Beckmann, Marcks, Schultze, and Beuys that reinterpret mythological themes through the artists’ biographies and the events of their times. The works address fundamental subjects as creation, nature, and gender relations but depart increasingly from traditional iconography.

Organized by Solveig Köbernick, 2005–2007 Michalke Curatorial Intern, Busch-Reisinger Museum.

Press Release