Letters from beyond

From May 30, the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid will be presenting letters from real leading figures in art history for the first time in Spain. The exhibition Artists' Letters from the Anne-Marie Springer Collection places the writings alongside the respective works of the authors, thus bringing the deceased back into the present. The correspondence of painters such as Delacroix, Manet, Degas, Monet, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse, Juan Gris, Frida Kahlo, and Lucian Freud all come from the Anne-Marie Springer Collection.

Although the focus is on love letters, the messages written in wartime by Egon Schiele, Fernand Léger, Gala and Max Pechstein, for example, also stir up the visitors. During the exhibition, one learns how art gave them some happiness, comfort and healing during this time.

Likewise, ideas, sometimes illustrated with small sketches of the artists, insecurities, defense of their art, celebration of successes, details about the creative processes, references to historical events and a wide range of emotions bring the artists to the audience once from a different perspective. The letters enter into a dialogue with works from the Museum's permanent collection. Interested visitors have time for this encounter until September 25.