Haus der Kunst requests "The Flagellants" for Academy of Fine Arts Munich exhibition
Website: Haus der Kunst
The Haus der Kunst, one of Munich, Germany’s premier exhibition venues, has requested
an exhibition loan from the Museum of Wisconsin Art. The painting is the MWA’s most
noted painting: Carl von Marr’s The Flagellants. If approved, Marr’s magnum opus
would triumphantly return to its “birthplace” the City of Munich after 115 years
in the U.S. The loan has been approved by the owners of this enormous canvas, the
City of Milwaukee, however, loan costs associated with air transport and installation
and de-installation is proving to be challenging for the Haus der Kunst. MWA Executive
Director, Tom Lidtke, states, “Dr. Krempel has identified this as one of the most
important paintings in this exhibition; therefore, both institutions will do whatever
we can to facilitate this loan, however, loan costs are substantial. At this point,
we remain confident but we need to do some fundraising to ensure the loan.” Completed
in Munich, Germany in 1889 by Milwaukeean Carl von Marr (1858-1936), it was begun
several years earlier when he was a student in Munich. The 14’ x 23’ canvas is believed
to be one of the largest paintings on a single woven canvas in the U.S.
German scholar Leon Krempel, PhD, of Haus der Kunst, publicly announced the loan
request at his January 26th MWA lecture on the Munich Art Academy. He further stated
that this painting will be a major component in the much-anticipated 200 Years of
the Academy, a retrospective of the Academy of Fine Arts Munich to be held at the
Haus der Kunst from May 30 to August 31, 2008. Marr is considered one of the most
important persons associated with the Academy and one of the five most important
North American artists to attend the internationally acclaimed art Academy.
Krempel has traveled the globe to borrow pieces for this exhibition which celebrates
the academy’s 200th anniversary. Besides West Bend, WI, he has visited Scandinavia,
Poland and Hungary for loans to the exhibit as well as North America.
The technical challenges associated with the transfer of The Flagellants are substantial.
Its enormous size requires nine different entities to collaborate on this loan operation
including riggers who will carefully remove it from the wall with pulleys. Anton
(Tony) Rajer, the conservator who assisted with the original transfer of the painting
to the MWA in 1976 said that it will take upwards to one week to remove the painting
from its frame, roll it up and secure it for its flight via Lufthansa Air to Germany
in early April.
The story of the painting’s origin is fascinating. Marr’s quest to take on such
an ambitious painting project in the late 1880’s caused controversy at the Academy.
Undeterred, Marr left the Academy to pursue his dream and finally completed the
grand scale painting in 1889. The young American artist’s talent and determination
prevailed; not only did he receive many awards for the painting, including its showing
at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, the Columbia Exposition, he also returned to the
Academy that same year as a painting instructor and later became the director of
this esteemed institution “Having the painting return to Munich is a testament the
enduring quality and importance of this painting and artist,” explained Tom Lidtke,
Executive Director of the MWA. While previous requests for loan of this painting
by the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. and the German History Museum of
Berlin were rejected, this loan request was accepted for good reason. “It is our
plan to leave the painting in Munich for storage while we construct our new building
for our regional art museum. We will have it back in West Bend for our opening in
a larger, even grander space!”