Biographies behind the artworks

The creation of artworks is always – to a greater or lesser extent – linked to the lives and experiences of the artists. In September 2025, the Kunstmuseum Bonn opened the major exhibition Faces and Narratives: The Collection of Classical Modernism – August Macke and the Rhenish Expressionists, which takes a closer look at precisely these contexts. In addition to popular highlights from the collection of well-known Rhenish Expressionists, the new presentation also features rarely exhibited works by lesser-known artists, providing a more detailed picture of the diversity and vitality of the art world in the early 20th century. At the same time, it reflects on today's perspective on artists' biographies and how they change our view of certain works of art. One example is Werner Peiner (1897-1984), who was included in the »Gottbegnadeten-Liste« (God-gifted list) during the Nazi era. The exhibition will run for over a year until September 19, 2027.

On display are works by Ernst Moritz Engert, Max Ernst, Franz Seraph Henseler, Franz M. Jansen, Alexej von Jawlensky, Käthe Kollwitz, Fifi Kreutzer, August Macke, Helmuth Macke, Carlo Mense, Heinrich Nauen, Marie Nauen-Malachowski, Gabriele Münter, Emil Nolde, Meret Oppenheim, Olga Oppenheimer, Werner Peiner, Lotte B. Prechner, Emy Roeder, Paul Adolf Seehaus, Franz Wilhelm Seiwert, Hans Thuar, and Marta Worringer. The exhibition has three main themes: self-portraits that reveal personality and biographical aspects; the Rhineland network around August Macke, which highlights the importance of friendships and acquaintances among artists; and provenance research. The latter section also exhibits works of art with clearly marked gaps in their provenance history, the restitution of which is still being researched.