The LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur presents the groundbreaking exhibition “Kirchner. Picasso”, on view from September 26, 2025, to January 18, 2026. For the first time, an exhibition deeply confronts the work of two foundational pillars of modern art: the German Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880–1938) and the Spanish Pablo Picasso (1881–1973).
Although they never met in person, their artistic trajectories reveal striking convergences. The exhibition brings together 100 works from major European museums to explore how both artists, witnesses to a changing era, reflected the times of crisis and passion that marked the early 20th century in their creations.
The exhibition layout analyzes central themes in both masters' work: the duality of urban life's glamour and hidden struggles, the evolution of portraiture – especially of their partners – and recurring motifs such as bathers and nudes, which raise profound reflections on the relationship between artist and model.
The show also delves into the construction of their public images. While Kirchner did so through introspective self-portraits revealing his inner turmoil, Picasso forged his myth through the symbolism of the Minotaur and via carefully staged photographs.
Contextualized within the Franco-German artistic exchange and the historical upheavals of the period, the exhibition interweaves the biographies and creative paths of both artists with the broader cultural movements of the time, offering a new perspective for understanding modernism.
An essential exhibition to comprehend the affinities and contrasts between two of the most influential figures in the history of modern art.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION:
* Title: Kirchner. Picasso
* Dates: September 26, 2025 – January 18, 2026
* Venue: LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Münster (Germany)
* Works: 100 pieces from prominent European museums.
About the LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur
The LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur in Münster is a museum of fine arts and culture housing a collection spanning from the Middle Ages to contemporary art. With a firm commitment to research and public engagement, it is a key institution in the German cultural landscape.
The LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur (Germany) presents “Kirchner. Picasso”, a groundbreaking exhibition that uncovers the surprising connections between these two giants of modernism.
On the cover: Pablo Picasso, Frauenbüste (Bust of a Woman), 1926
Musée national Picasso-Paris
Image: bpk / GrandPalaisRMN / Gérard Blot. © Succession Picasso / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2025
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