Kunstpalast Düsseldorf: Women Artists! From Monjé to Münter

The exhibition provides a fascinating insight into an era in which the decision to pursue a career as an artist required not only talent and passion, but also courage, perseverance and financial means for private tuition. Female artists such as Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann, Marie Wiegmann and Paula Monjé succeeded in asserting themselves in a male-dominated environment. Today, many of these names have largely been forgotten - and some of the works presented in this exhibition are being shown publicly for the first time since the 19th century.

The exhibits illustrate not only the individual artistic signature, but also the variety of themes, techniques and forms of expression that women developed during this period. They ranged between portraiture, still lifes, landscapes and allegorical scenes, often characterized by a fine sensibility and an independent aesthetic standard. At the same time, the works document the challenges and limitations that women faced in art and tell of the struggle for visibility and recognition.

The exhibition invites visitors to question the previously invisible structures of art history and to take a "second look" at the 19th and early 20th centuries. It fundamentally expands our understanding of this era and makes it clear that art history remains incomplete without the contribution of women artists. Visitors experience how women influenced the artistic discourses of their time and created spaces for their own voices, often in the face of social resistance.

"Women Artists! From Monjé to Münter" is therefore not just a presentation of works, but a statement for equality, remembrance and appreciation. The exhibition invites us to sharpen our focus and re-read the history of art - with all the facets that have been overshadowed up to now.

www.kunstpalast.de