‘Figure!‘ – The show curated by artist Tony Cragg and Dr Roland Mönig (Director of the Von der Heydt-Museum) gathers together portrayals of the human figure created between the mid-19th century and the 1980s.

By comparing differing conceptions of the motif, the exhibition shows how the artists situated between classicism and late modernity, in their critical engagement with the tradition, wrestled to develop a new, contemporary language of forms.

Prominent examples of this development include the works presented here by Auguste Rodin, Edgar Degas, Hans Arp, Alberto Giacometti, Germaine Richier, Renée Sintenis and Käthe Kollwitz.

Apart from an extensive section with photographs, the catalogue accompanying the exhibition includes an essay by the art historian, Dr. Ursula Ströbele, as well as a conversation between the curators, Tony Cragg and Dr Roland Mönig.

The latter throws light on how the unusual collaboration between two museums came about, and also on the respective perspectives adopted toward the Von der Heydt-Museum’s rich collection.

Accompanies the exhibition ‘Figure! Masterpieces of Sculpture from the Von Der Heydt Museum’, 18 Mar – 20 Aug 2023, Skulpturenpark Waldfrieden, Wuppertal.

English and German text.