In my short time in Bremen, I visited the Kunsthalle to look at art. Here are a few pieces that moved me in some way.
Franz Radziwill, name and year are unknown (to me)
It's hard to do justice to the redness of that red with a photo. It immediately mesmerized me even before I was able to perceive the painting in full. Once I looked at the full frame though, it took me back to the Lombak comics and Stephen King stories I was reading in my childhood. This is a painting by Franz Radziwill. Unfortunately, I forgot to make a note of the name of the piece.
Paula Modersohn-Becker's last painting
It’s impossible to do justice to the amazing texture of Modersohn-Becker’s last painting with a 2D photograph. It has layers of paint so thick that it looks like crochet. Thankfully, Rachel shared a few close-up pics on her Instagram page.
Die blaue Grotte von Capri, 1835
The moment I got interested in art was when I saw Monet’s painting that started Impressionism. The traces of sunlight reflecting on the small waves of the sea fascinated me. The blue light in Heinrich Jakob Fried’s painting had the same effect, I could spend a long time looking at it.
Liegender weiblicher Akt, 1899
I've seen a lot of nude paintings of women in many galleries. I've never seen one that is as erotic as Lovis Corinth's. Maybe it's because she seems asleep and it makes me feel like a voyeur. It might also be because she looks real, "without the shyness of the demure housewife or the self-confidence of the prostitute."
Psyche, 1793-1794
Classical or neo-classical art, like Antonio Canova's Psyche, has never been a style I actually enjoyed. At first I approached Psyche in the same dismissive manner but its finesse captivated me. Its details and smoothness are a great example of the highs of sculpting as a craft.
Bogen auf Rot, 1967
Emil Schumacher's Arc on Red was displayed together with other artworks depicting the horror of war. I think the placement was apt due to the painting's eeriness. It made me think of the hellish landscape of the Doom video games.
La Danse, 1933
Telling a story—the back-and-forth of a dance—through sculpture is an amazing feat. This is why André Beaudin's La Danse was the piece that affected me the most. He captured the movement not as a frozen moment but as a progression.
