“It was incredibly enjoyable to engage intensively with the artworks and delve into them in depth. Working with restorer Ludmila Henseler was particularly enriching.”Nicole Roth | Curator of the Exhibition
Nicole Roth is an art historian and deputy director of the Draiflessen Collection. Her areas of expertise are the cultural history of the Italian Renaissance and 19th-century German painting. Her curatorial work extends into the field of contemporary art.
This exhibition focuses on two panel paintings: 'Madonna with Cherries', which is thought to be from the workshop of Joos van Cleve (c. 1530), and 'The Holy Family with Angels' (c. 1510) by a previously unknown Old Dutch master. Both paintings originate from the Netherlands and have not been in our collection for very long. As we had some questions about these works, we examined them from art-historical, restorative and technological perspectives to find the answers. In doing so, we gained some very exciting insights, which we are sharing with visitors in this cabinet exhibition.
We were particularly struck by the fact that, even after 500 years, the fascination with this level of painting and these works is still so strong, even among visitors. Visitors were eager to see what goes on behind the scenes when we examine such works. They were also excited to witness the restoration process, which is documented here in film recordings. Personally, I found it enriching to take a closer look at individual works and delve deeper into them once again. I particularly enjoyed collaborating with restorer Ludmila Henseler, as the various aspects of analysing the works came together, enabling us to learn from each other.
„This search for clues was my personal highlight, even though we haven't been able to track down the perpetrator yet.“ Julia Cwojdzinski | Collection Manager and Curator of the Exhibition
Dr. Julia Cwojdzinski is an art historian and art and media scholar whose practical focus is on archives and collections. She has been Collection Manager of the Draiflessen Collection since 2019 and regularly curates exhibitions at DAS Forum.
The Missing Link This exhibition reflects the theme of the year in several ways: these paintings are 500 years old and some of the knowledge about the symbolism of the depictions and how the works were created has been lost. Through our research, we have tried to rediscover these 'missing links'.
The exhibition magazine OPEN UP! is an invitation to sharpen your senses and expand your interpretive abilities, to pause and discover the hidden treasures that lie beneath the surface.
Look in inside the magazine OPEN UP! BENEATH THE SURFACE
