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| Article number | 1612630 |
| Price | 11,80 € |
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The historic staircase.
A look at the history of the Hamburger Kunsthalle
Text: Andrea Völker, approx. 152 pages, Language German
When you enter the Hamburger Kunsthalle today, the path to the collection leads through the monumental staircase - one of the few surviving complete works of art from the Wilhelminian era. A wide marble staircase leads visitors to the upper floor, as it did when the museum opened in 1869, where they are greeted by historicist décor and 19th century painting cycles. The pictorial programme of the Four Seasons and Times of Day, Ages and Elements by Valentin Ruths and Arthur Fitger, executed between 1881 and 1886, is emblematic of the civic museum and its collection.
However, with the opening of the new building in 1919 and the relocation of the entrance towards the main railway station, this prestigious location was to lose its function for almost a century. Neutralised in the meantime by a grey paint job and rededicated as a venue for contemporary art and a phonotheque, it was not until 1992 to 1995 that the room underwent an extensive restoration that restored it to its 1880s state. The painting cycles that had been stored in the depot since the Second World War were also returned to their original location. Since 2016, the staircase has once again served as the entrance to the museum.
Based on the complex archive material and historical photographs, this short series presents the staircase's pictorial programme and its creation in detail for the first time. At the same time, the reconstruction of numerous conversions over 150 years opens up a view of the eventful history of the Hamburger Kunsthalle.
A look at the history of the Hamburger Kunsthalle
Text: Andrea Völker, approx. 152 pages, Language German
When you enter the Hamburger Kunsthalle today, the path to the collection leads through the monumental staircase - one of the few surviving complete works of art from the Wilhelminian era. A wide marble staircase leads visitors to the upper floor, as it did when the museum opened in 1869, where they are greeted by historicist décor and 19th century painting cycles. The pictorial programme of the Four Seasons and Times of Day, Ages and Elements by Valentin Ruths and Arthur Fitger, executed between 1881 and 1886, is emblematic of the civic museum and its collection.
However, with the opening of the new building in 1919 and the relocation of the entrance towards the main railway station, this prestigious location was to lose its function for almost a century. Neutralised in the meantime by a grey paint job and rededicated as a venue for contemporary art and a phonotheque, it was not until 1992 to 1995 that the room underwent an extensive restoration that restored it to its 1880s state. The painting cycles that had been stored in the depot since the Second World War were also returned to their original location. Since 2016, the staircase has once again served as the entrance to the museum.
Based on the complex archive material and historical photographs, this short series presents the staircase's pictorial programme and its creation in detail for the first time. At the same time, the reconstruction of numerous conversions over 150 years opens up a view of the eventful history of the Hamburger Kunsthalle.
