Until 25 January 2010
"My Second Self" -
August and Elisabeth Macke

To celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the August Mack House Association, the Museum is showing a comprehensive exhibition devoted to the loving relationship between August and Elisabeth Macke, a symbiotic bond whose story cannot be told without reference to the August Macke House and the city of Bonn.
Elisabeth Gerhardt (1888-1978), who met August Macke (1887-1914) in 1903 and married him in 1909, was the predominant figure in the major part of his portrait art and his model of preference. As no other motif, the rendering of Elisabeth accompanied Macke's stylistic development through all of its phases. The multitude of paintings, water colors, and drawings done with Elisabeth as their theme over a period of eleven years impressively reveal the pair's close relationship, intimate bond, and loving interaction. The exhibition and catalogue show Elisabeth's importance for August Macke's personal and artistic development and highlight her roles as muse and model, spouse and mother. Important and prominent paintings, water colors, drawings, and sketch books from private and renowned public collections, supplemented by numerous photographs, craftworks, letters, and diary entries, document the harmonic relationship between August and Elisabeth, and trace their successive stations over their years together.

29 January – 25 April 2010
Between Studio and Stage:
Egon Wilden 1894-1931

Although previously known to only a few admirers and experts, Egon Wilden was a recognized artist among second-generation Rhenish Expressionists. He studied at Düsseldorf's Art Academy (under Heinrich Nauen and others) and was a sought-after and innovative stage designer during the 1920s. His creativity also manifested itself in watercolors and pastels, and in experimental works that featured a constructive and abstract repertoire of images. Nevertheless, representational references and nature studies continued to be of decisive significance to Wilden up to his early death. Normally executed in small format, his art is characterized by luminous transparency, expressive color intensity, and subtle light distribution. Themes focus on the human figure, landscapes, and religious motifs. Some 100 works from public and private collections will be shown.

30 April – 26 September 2010
Works of August Macke and the Rhenish Expressionists from the August Macke Haus Collection

Renovation measures and reorganization of rooms at the August Macke House Bonn will require an occasional closing of the facility to the public during the summer months. Between closings, we will only be showing pieces from our own collection. The various days on which the Museum will be open/closed to the public will be announced on our homepage, in Bonn's local newspapers, and in the Museum's telephone information service under 0228 – 65 55 31.

9 October 2010 – 9 January 2011
August Macke – an Intimate View

The exhibition takes a private look at August Macke from various thematic and biographical perspectives. The different facets that will be highlighted make visible his precocious and lively personality. Macke's artistic development and his ongoing experimentation with new forms and colors are revealed through the works in the exhibition and document the artist's evolution at the beginning of the 20th century. This special and very private approach relies exclusively on scenes from Macke's family life, in many cases displayed to the public for the first time.

CHANGES POSSIBLE