Bernhard Von Waldkirch

Catalog of an exhibition held at the Kunsthaus Zeurich, Dec. 16, 2011-Mar. 4, 2012.

Wilhelm Leibl (1844–1900) is regarded as one of the most significant portraitists and an important representative of Realism in Europe. With large-format illustrations of 40 paintings and 60 drawings this volume accompanies the first comprehensive museum exhibition with a focus on portraits and representations of figures to be shown in Switzerland and Austria. Wilhelm Leibl explained his individual and modern figure painting with his retreat to the countryside. For Leibl the decisive factor was not that a model was attractive, but that he or she was shown in a good light. The publication highlights in insightful contributions Leibl’s position between tradition and modernity, his contribution to European Realism and his affinity for the colour black. It also discusses his relationship to Degas, his links with Hungary and his importance for the art of the twentieth and twenty-first century.

The mythic figure of Prometheus has inspired many poets, painters and musicians since the age of romanticism. For Goethe and Henry Fuseli, the titan who stole the fire from the gods of ancient Greek became the embodiment of mankind struggling for autonomy and self-determination. Yet the fire has come not only to our benefit. Along with it came also menace upon mankind. This is the subject of a major work by Venezuelan artist Javier Tellez. In his film installation 1/2 Rotations (Prometheus and Zwitter) of 2011, two sculptures slowly rotate before a camera: Arno Breker's (1900-91) Prometheus and Zwitter (hermaphrodite) by the German art-brut sculptor Karl Genzel (1871-1925). Both works were on display in the Nazi propaganda art shows of 1937 in Munich, Breker's in the Great German Art Exhibition and Genzel's in the coinciding defaming show Degenerate Art. This new book juxtaposes paintings and drawings reflecting the Prometheus myth by Henry Fuseli with Javier Tellez capital work of contemporary art. It is published to coincide with an exhibit at Kunsthaus Zurich in summer 2014.

Anl sslich es 200. Geburtstags von Hono Daumier wartet das Kunsthaus Zuerich mit einer Kabinett-Ausstellung auf, die einem der produktivsten Zeichner des 19. Jahrhunderts gewidmet ist. Das Katalogbuch pr sentiert die rund dreissig Werke, haupts chlich Zeichnungen und Aquarelle, in grossformatigen Bildern. Die Werke kommen als Leihgaben aus dem Louvre und von bedeutenden Schweizer Privatsammlungen.