Kunsthalle Hamburg

In better times, after re-opening: Seriously good art on view in this rich harbour city in Northern Germany

You can hire me and I will fly in to be your own outstanding private “Professore”. At your cost, I will fly in especially for you and I will guide you after spending a hotel night. And then a very memorable museum visit or two. Please book a time slot ticket for yourself and for the guide. New: Private Audio system available.

 

Kunsthalle Hamburg is one of the leading fine art museums in Germany. The grand staircase leads you up from mundane life to the realm of Fine art, Philosophy, History etc.  Entering is an event of a lifetime, leading up to a stairwell hall series of paintings with heavy almost untranslatable captions: “Heil dir, lerntest du fruh vom Munde der Fabel die Weisheit, welche das Leben von dir einst unerbittlich verlangt”. Something deep about fables and acquiring wisdom.

 

Friedrich, Wanderer above sea of clouds. Detail.

Particularly strong in German art between 1800 and 1960. One of the highlights is the amazing and sublime work of  Caspar David Friedrich in this collection. Shown here: Rambler above a sea of fog, c 1817 in whole and in detail. Many outstanding Friedrichs were lost in a terrible fire in an earlier Friedrich exhibition.

Friedrich, Wanderer above sea of clouds.

 

Many schools and periods are shown in this museum, paid for by Hamburg harbour tycoons and circles of friends.

Good collections of Dutch 17th C art as well. Within walking distance, next to the Main Railway Station is the Art & Design museum (Kunst und Gewerbe) with particularly good collections of German and World art.