Bertolt Brecht | Of all the works of man / Tra tutte le opere

Of all the works of man I like best

Those which have been used.

The copper pots with their dents and flattened edges

The knives and forks whose wooden handles

Have been worn away by many hands: such forms

Seemed to me the noblest.

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) | Crouching Boy, 1524 | Hermitage, St. Petersburg

7 masterpieces at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

Frederick Carl Frieseke | The House in Giverny, 1912

When Frieseke first settled at Giverny in 1906, he stayed at Le Hameau (the hamlet) on the rue du Pressoir.

The two-story cottage surrounded by high walls on three sides enclosing a garden was next door to the home of Claude Monet and had previously been occupied by the American artist Lilla Cabot Perry.

The house shown in The House in Giverny, however, is most likely the Whitman house, the second of Frieseke's three Giverny residences.

Its green shutters and the distinctive open lattice-work of green trellises laden with flowers appear in a number of Frieseke's paintings, including Lilies, Tea Time in a Giverny Garden (both Daniel J. Terra Collection) and Hollyhocks, c. 1912-1913 (Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection).

The intimacy of Frieseke's small painting and his interest in decorative pattern links the artist more closely with the Nabi painters Vuillard and Bonnard than to his neighbour Monet or with Renoir, the French Impressionist he most admired.

The artist stated his creed published in a 1914 interview: "My one idea is to reproduce flowers in sunlight.

I do not suggest detail by form, as I have to keep it as pure as possible or the effect of brilliancy will be lost.

Of course, there is a limit to the strength of pigments, and one can but relatively give the impression of nature. I may see a glare of white light at noon, but I cannot render it literally [...]

I usually make my first notes and impressions with dashes of tempera, then I paint over this with small strokes in oil to produce the effect of vibration, completing as I go". | Source: © Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

Frederick Carl Frieseke (American, 1874-1939) | The House in Giverny, 1912 | Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid

Felix Nussbaum | The Folly Square / La piazza della follia, 1931

"The Folly Square" / "Der tolle Platz" was created in 1931 by German-Jewish surrealist painter Felix Nussbaum (1904-1944).

It is part of the collection of the Berlinische Galerie.

Turbulent goings - on at Pariser Platz in Berlin: young artists unload their paintings outside the Prussian Academy of the Arts while its distinguished professors file through the door.

In the background we see Max Liebermann, the president of the Academy, on the roof of his house right next to the Brandenburg Gate.

He is working on a self-portrait held for him by Victoria, the goddess of victory.

She has torn herself off the Victory Column on the right of the frame, but in mid-flight she loses the laurel wreath which, since Ancient times, has been the mark of distinction for success.

Felix Nussbaum | The folly square, 1931 | Berlinische Galerie

In the foreground, in the centre of the beige-grey painting: a group of young artists in pale smocks with paintings.

More paintings are being unloaded from a vehicle on the right.

Left: professors dressed in black form a long queue three abreast.

In the background, Max Liebermann stands on a half-crumbling building.

Hermann Krüger | Park near Rome, 1899

"Park near Rome" (View of the Alban Hills) is an 1899 oil painting by German landscape painter of the Düsseldorf School Hermann August Krüger (1834-1908).

After initially studying art in Munich, Hermann Krüger continued his education in Düsseldorf from 1867 onwards, having spent time in Dresden and Berlin in between.

There, Kruger was a private pupil of Oswald Achenbach and undertook numerous study trips to Italy and Egypt.

Jakub Schikaneder | The Kampa Lovers, 1894

"The Kampa Lovers" is an 1894 painting by the Czech painter and professor Jakub Schikaneder (1855-1924).

Schikaneder is known for his soft paintings of the outdoors, often lonely in mood.

His paintings often feature poor and outcast figures and "combined neo-romantic and naturalist impulses".

Other motifs favoured by Schikaneder were autumn and winter, corners and alleyways in the city of Prague and the banks of the Vltava – often in the early evening light, or cloaked in mist.

Adolph von Menzel | Clara Schumann and Joseph Joachim in Concert, 1854

Adolph Friedrich Erdmann von Menzel (1815-1905) was a German Realist artist noted for drawings, etchings, and paintings.

Along with Caspar David Friedrich, he is considered one of the two most prominent German painters of the 19th century, and was the most successful artist of his era in Germany.

First known as Adolph Menzel, he was knighted in 1898 and changed his name to Adolph von Menzel.

Alphonse Spring | Violin Player, 1890

Alphons Spring (1843-1908) was a genre painter of the Munich School and co-founder of the artists' society Allotria in Munich.

Alphons Spring, who wrote himself Alfons Spring from around 1878, was born in Liepaja in Latvia and studied at the art school and academy in Saint Petersburg.

He moved to Munich 1870 where he became a student of Professor Wilhelm Diez.

Immanuel Kant: "To be is to do!" / "Essere è fare!"

• "Pazienta per un poco: le calunnie non vivono a lungo".

• "La verità è figlia del tempo: tra non molto essa apparirà per vendicare i tuoi torti".

• "Abbi il coraggio di servirti della tua propria intelligenza!"

Caspar David Friedrich | Wanderer above the sea of fog

Felix Ehrlich | Genre painter

Felix Ehrlich (1866-1931) was a German portrait and genre painter.

Ehrlich studied painting at the Königsberg Art Academy under Carl Steffeck since 1883 and became his master student in 1888.

Back in Berlin he was appointed court painter in 1896.

In the same year he married Bertha Homoth.

Felix Ehrlich portrayed Otto von Bismarck as well as Kaiser Wilhelm II and his wife, the crown prince couple and many high-ranking officials and officers.

Kathrin Longhurst, 1971 | Pittrice iperrealista

L'artista figurativa contemporanea Kathrin Longhurst è nata nella Germania orientale comunista.

Pittrice figurativa di formazione classica, Kathrin Longhurst ha iniziato a frequentare corsi di disegno dal vero all'età di quattordici anni.

Quando Kathrin aveva solo quindici anni, la sua famiglia fuggì da "dietro la cortina di ferro", trasferendosi in Svezia.

Questa stridente transizione da un regime totalitario a una democrazia ha acceso la passione di Kathrin per l'esplorazione dei concetti di libertà di parola e di espressione, concetti che continuano a permeare il suo lavoro oggi.

Mascha Kaléko | Ricetta

Francine Van Hove, 1942

Scaccia la paura

e la paura della paura.

Per qualche anno le cose basteranno.

Il pane nel cassetto

e il vestito nell’armadio.

Hugo Mühlig | Pittore impressionista

Il pittore Tedesco Hugo Mühlig è nato a Dresda da una famiglia di artisti; suo padre Meno Mühlig (1823-1873) era un affermato paesaggista e pittore di genere, così come suo zio Bernhard Mühlig (1829-1910).

Fu incoraggiato a seguire l'esempio e ricevette la sua prima formazione artistica da suo padre prima di studiare all'Accademia d'arte di Dresda tra il 1877 ed il 1880 sotto l'illustratore Viktor Paul Mohn (1842-1911).

Mühlig era un visitatore abituale della colonia di artisti ad Willingshausen, una pittoresca cittadina sulle rive del fiume Schwalm nella regione dell'Assia in Germania.

Antonie Boubong | A Little Gardener, 1886

Antonie Boubong (1842-1908) was a German portrait, genre, and landscape painter.

Life

Antonie Boubong was born on 8 June 1842 in Werneck, Bavaria.

She studied at the Stuttgart Art School with Wilhelm von Lindenschmit the Younger in Munich.

Antonie Boubong worked in Strasbourg.

Fritz von Uhde | Genre painter

Fritz von Uhde (born Friedrich Hermann Carl Uhde; 1848-1911) was a German painter of genre and religious subjects.

His style lay in-between Realism and Impressionism, he was once known as "Germany's outstanding impressionist" and he became one of the first painters to introduce plein-air painting in his country.

Biography

Uhde was born in Wolkenburg, Saxony.

His family, moderately wealthy civil servants, had artistic interests.

Joseph Oppenheimer | Impressionist painter

Joseph Oppenheimer (1876-1967) was born in Würzburg, Germany. From an early age his whole life was art.

At 15, before being old enough to enroll in the Munich Academy of Art, he left school and began studying art with some of the foremost German painters such as Fehr.

Perhaps the impetus for this was his chance meeting with The Iron Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, at the age on 14 when they both stayed at the same spa hotel in Bad Kissingen.

Joseph made a pencil sketch of Bismarck and presented it to him.

Valerie Otte, 1977 | Figurative sculptor

Valerie Otte is an award-winning sculptor based in Germany whose work has been exhibited both nationally and in the UK.

Valerie Otte's art can be described as a play of the eyes at distance, which is a classical description for figurative sculpture.

The rule: Close observation.

Heinz Kahlau | Se non ci sei..

Se non ci sei,

ho sempre

quel che hai detto

e ho il tuo volto.

Marc Chagall | The Lovers, 1929

Princess Louise Hollandine | Baroque painter

Princess Louise Hollandine of the Palatinate (18 April 1622 - 11 February 1709) was a painter and abbess.

She was a daughter of Frederick V of the Palatinate, the "Winter King" of Bohemia, and Scottish princess Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of King James VI and I.

She is also known for her romantic involvement with the Marquess of Montrose.

Early life

Born in April 1622, Louise Hollandine was born at the Hague Palace in Holland, as her father was living in exile at the court of his uncle, Maurice, Prince of Orange.

Hermann Hesse | Sull’Amore / The one who loves is happy!

"Quanto più invecchiavo, quanto più insipide mi parevano le piccole soddisfazioni che la vita mi dava, tanto più chiaramente comprendevo dove andasse cercata la fonte delle gioie della vita.

Imparai che essere amati non è niente, mentre amare è tutto, e sempre più mi parve di capire ciò che da valore e piacere alla nostra esistenza non è altro che la nostra capacità di sentire".

Marc Chagall | The Lovers, 1929

Heinrich Heine | Die Lorelei / Il canto di Lorelei, 1824

Il Lorelei è una roccia nel fiume Reno, oggetto di numerose leggende, poesie e canzoni.

Secondo la leggenda, Lorelei era una bellissima ondina del fiume Reno, che attirava a sé gli uomini col suo canto e con il suo aspetto, causando naufragi e sciagure.

Un giorno, per vendicare il figlio morto, un nobile inviò i suoi soldati ad uccidere la fanciulla, soldati che seppero resistere al suo incanto e che l'avrebbero uccisa, se lei non avesse chiamato suo padre in aiuto: egli mandò un cavallo di schiuma che condusse la ninfa nelle profondità del fiume, da cui ella non fece più ritorno.

Da allora, i marinai non dovettero più temere gli inganni di Lorelei.

Charles Edward Hallé (1846-1914) | Lorelei, the Nymph of the Rhine