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24/4/2009

Alfred Kubin

Museum der Moderne - Rupertinum, Salzburg

Curator: Eleonora Louis

The Museum der Moderne Salzburg owns approx. 550 works by Alfred Kubin – drawings, graphic prints, books and correspondence with his wife Hedwig and various artist friends. Kubin, who is undoubtedly one of the most renowned drawers and illustrators of the 20th century, created thousands of individual sheets, illustrations for more than 140 books as well as numerous portfolios and individual graphics. Simultaneously he created a comprehensive literary oeuvre, comprising a series of narrations.
2009 marks the 50th anniversary of Kubin’s death (20th August 1959), and his only novel “The Other Side”, illustrated by the artist himself, was published exactly 100 years ago (completed in 1908, illustrated and published in 1909). These illustrations are excellent examples for Kubin’s flowing drawing style, executed in Indian ink and pen, which characterized his oeuvre for his entire life. Hermann Hesse once referred to the novel as „the most poetic work of the past few decades”. The exhibition showcases not only sheets from the original edition of 1909, but also from the second version of 1952, when a new edition of “The Other Side” was published on the occasion of Kubin’s 75th birthday. For this edition Kubin created new drawings in a style the artist himself referred to as “impressionist”. The exhibition presents a direct comparison between the 1909 and 1952 editions.

On the occasion of the above-mentioned anniversaries the exhibition focuses on Kubin as book illustrator – for his own narrations and selected literary works from the Romantic period, fantastic narrations and literature of his time. Kubin worked as book illustrator for many decades; the first books he illustrated included works by Edgar Allen Poe, J. de Nerval, F. Dostoyevsky, W. Hauff and F. Kafka. In addition to numerous books illustrated by Kubin, many of which are part of the museum’s own collection, the exhibition also features corresponding drafts and drawings of some of the artist’s illustrations, which give the visitor fascinating insights and allows a comparison between the original drawings and their printed versions.

These exhibits are complemented by a juxtaposition of Kubin’s drawings with drawings by some of his fellow artists of his own and a younger generation, who were linked to Kubin by friendship or artistic collaboration. The small selection includes works by fellow artists Margret Bilger, Hans Fronius, Emmy Haesele, Fritz von Herzmanovsky-Orlando, Werner Schnabl, Anton Steinhart and Wilhelm Thöny.
These artists are also represented in the collection of the Museum der Moderne. The works from the MdM’s own collection are complemented by items on loan from other museums as well as private collections.

In conjunction with the exhibition a catalogue is published, which includes essays by Max Blaeulich and Reinhard Urbach and excerpts from Brita Steinwendtner’s new novel “Du Engel du Teufel. Emmy Haesele und Alfred Kubin - eine Liebesgeschichte“ as preprint.

Image: Der Hunger 1903, Blatt 8 der Hans-von-Weber-Mappe (c) VBK, Wien, 2009

Christine Forstner
Press/P T+43.662 84 22 20-601 christine.forstner@mdmsalzburg.at

Opening: Sat 25.4.09, 11 a.m

Museum der Moderne - Rupertinum
Wiener Philharmoniker Gasse, 9 - Salzburg

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