REVEALED BY THE REVERSE
The Hidden History of a Painting by Adolph Menzel
13 September 2018 to 3 February 2019
A curatorial intervention in the permanent exhibition
Museum objects not only convey history, they also have their own. However, their history often remains hidden. It is the job of provenance research to investigate these histories. It documents the many stages of an object’s journey on its way from the artist’s studio to the museum.
The painting "Borussia" by Adolph Menzel provides a prime example of the almost seamless biography of an object. What are the clues present on the artwork itself which provenance research can follow up on? What does the back of a painting reveal and what part of its history does it disclose? What are the potential consequences of the findings of provenance research?
The curatorial intervention provides us with a look behind the scenes of provenance research. In view of the ongoing debate about how to deal with the Nazi-looted art, it shows at the same time the change in the judicial and moral viewpoints from 1945 to the "Washington Conference Principles" in 1998.
Flyer to the exhibition
Download (PDF)
ONLINEPUBLIKATION
Hrsg. von Fritz Backhaus und Brigitte Reineke für das Deutsche Historische Museum:
RÜCKANSICHT – Die verborgene Geschichte eines Gemäldes von Adolph Menzel
© Deutsches Historisches Museum und die Autorinnen und Autoren 2018
Tour with the curators
Guided tours in German
Meeting point: Zeughaus
Free admission
03.10.2018, 6 pm
Tobias Schlage, Deutsches Historisches Museum
28.11.2018, 6 pm
Susan Geißler and Darja Jesse, Deutsches Historisches Museum
Additional tours are optional bookable:
Tour booking
Tel. +49 30 20304-750/-751
Fax +49 30 20304-759
fuehrung@dhm.de