The White Hall and what came after: Modernism in reconstruction

Part of the exhibition "Clashing styles?"

The reconstruction work at Charlottenburg Palace was not completed with the opening of the White Hall in 1973. Many other projects were in the pipeline, each requiring an individual decision. Sometimes these decisions were influenced by new findings or documents that came to light after work had started. Both reconstructions and modern solutions ensued. 
For example, Hann Trier was also commissioned to execute the ceiling painting above the staircase in the New Wing. Following his work at Charlottenburg Palace he received further commissions for ceiling paintings and other large-scale formats including commissions from public institutions in Cologne and Heidelberg and at the Vatican. 
Nonetheless, the replacing of lost treasures with contemporary works remained the exception, not only in West Germany but also in the GDR. The State Palaces and Gardens Potsdam-Sanssouci, for example, replaced only a small number of lost works of art with new creations in contemporary style.

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Altes Schloss, Gartenfassade, Balustrade mit Statuen von Günter Anlauf (2016)Charlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Subsequent projects with contemporary artists at Charlottenburg Palace

After the completion of the ceiling painting in the White Hall it was quickly decided that Trier should also be commissioned to paint the ceiling above the staircase in the New Wing. In this case there was an extant colour photograph of the original, but the desire to take a uniform approach to the sequence of rooms swung the decision in favour of Trier. This time there was none of the debate that had accompanied the commission for the White Hall, nor was there in the case of the ceiling of the Great Orangery, for which the contemporary artist Peter Schubert was chosen. A further project concerned statues for the balustrade of the palace, which were made by five sculptors during the 1970s.

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Neuer Flügel, Treppenhaus, Deckengemälde von Antoine Pesne, „Prometheus stiehlt das Feuer vom Sonnenwagen“ (1742) by Antoine PesneCharlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, New Wing, staircase, ceiling painting by Antoine Pesne, Prometheus Stealing Fire from the Chariot of the Sun God, 1742, state in 1943

The ceiling painting above the staircase immediately preceding the White Hall was originally also painted by Antoine Pesne. This ceiling was photographed in colour before the destruction as part of Hitler’s ‘Führerauftrag Monumentalmalerei’, a campaign to record Germany’s endangered monumental painting and interiors carried out in 1943–45. It depicted Prometheus, accompanied by Athena, stealing fire from the sun chariot of the god Helios in order to bring it to mankind. 

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Neuer Flügel, Treppenhaus (1962)Charlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, New Wing, staircase, state in 1962

Work on the reconstruction of the staircase had been completed by 1959. The original intention was to leave the ceiling white and dispense with a painting. The stucco figural groups on the cornice had been freely recreated by Harald Haacke on the basis of extant photographs. 

Entwurf zum Deckenbild des Treppenhauses im Neuen Flügel von Schloss Charlottenburg (1974) by Hann TrierCharlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Hann Trier, design for the ceiling painting of the staircase in the New Wing of Charlottenburg Palace, 1974, matt paint on canvas, 77 x 64.5 cm

Despite the existence of the colour photograph of the original ceiling painting the Palaces Department decided to commission Hann Trier to paint the ceiling above the staircase. In contrast to the White Hall, this time the decision was not preceded by public discussion. Trier produced only a small number of designs in the brief period of preparation he had at his disposal.

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Neuer Flügel, Treppenhaus, Deckengemälde (1974) by Hann TrierCharlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, New Wing, staircase, ceiling painting by Hann Trier, 1974, state in 2017

The grey background of the ceiling painting echoes the colour scheme of the staircase with its grey coving and marble-stucco, providing a foil for the bright colours of the structures. In this work one can readily appreciate the dynamism of Hann Trier’s painting, which harmonizes with that of the stucco figures on the coving.

Berlin, Charlottenburg Place, New Wing, Staircase

Move through the stairwell and take a look at the ceiling.

Renate Mayntz-Trier in ihrer Kölner Wohnung (2020-08-11)Charlottenburg Palace

Contemporary wittness report. Only available in German.
00:00

Renate Mayntz Trier

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Große Orangerie, Mittelbau mit Kriegszerstörungen (1949)Charlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, Great Orangery, central pavilion with war damage, state in April 1949

A solution also had to be found for the lost ceiling painting of the central section of the Great Orangery at Charlottenburg Palace. In 1943 the central section and the east wing had burned down, resulting in the complete destruction of the ceiling. The Orangery was rebuilt from 1956 to 1962, and it was decided to dispense with a ceiling painting for the time being. 

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Große Orangerie, Mittelbau, Deckengemälde (1886) by Karl WendlingCharlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, Great Orangery, central pavilion, ceiling painting by Karl Wendling, 1886, state in 1886/before 1914

The ceiling painting from the time of the building’s construction was overpainted by Karl Wendling in 1886. It is likely that Wendling simply restored the surrounding coving, which was painted with illusionistic architecture. The central panel of the ceiling featured the figures of Zeus, Ares and Aphrodite among other gods against a sky full of billowing clouds.

Entwurf zum Deckenbild des Mittelpavillons in der Großen Orangerie von Schloss Charlottenburg (1976/77) by Peter SchubertCharlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Peter Schubert, design for the ceiling painting of the central pavilion of the Great Orangery at Charlottenburg Palace, 1976/77, matt paint on canvas, 180 x 162.5 cm

In the mid-1970s the Palaces Department decided to commission a contemporary ceiling painting from the artist Peter Schubert, as the extant black-and-white photographs did not provide an adequate basis for reconstructing the painting from 1886. The original Baroque painting was recorded only in an engraving, in which little could be made out.

Gipsmodell mit Entwurf zum Deckenbild des Mittelpavillons in der Großen Orangerie von Schloss Charlottenburg (1977) by Peter SchubertCharlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Peter Schubert, plaster model with design for the ceiling painting of the central pavilion of the Great Orangery at Charlottenburg Palace, before 1977 

Over eighteen months Peter Schubert produced numerous designs and plaster models for the ceiling painting and coving with a number of variations of painted trompe l’oeil architecture. At first Schubert tended towards using dark blue tones with red accents, but later abandoned these in favour of warmer grey and sandy hues.

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Große Orangerie, Mittelbau, Deckengemälde (1977) by Peter SchubertCharlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, Great Orangery, central pavilion, ceiling painting by Peter Schubert 1977, state in 2017

Completed in 1977, the ceiling painting was executed by Schubert with lightish, often pale mineral colours that reinforce the illusion of the space opening upwards.

At the eastern end of the oval ceiling panel is an overturned pitcher with water flowing out of it – an allusion to the original ceiling painting which featured a water jug in the same place.

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Große Orangerie, Mittelbau (2017)Charlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, Great Orangery, central pavilion, state in 2017

Schubert painted the trompe l’oeil architecture on the ceiling and coving in imitation of stone using tones of grey and ochre, adding light, transparent accents in blue, green, yellow and red that suggest fluttering cloths. Today the Great Orangery is used as a venue for events – echoing its use in the eighteenth century. 

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, Great Orangery, central pavilion

Move through the room and take a look at the ceiling.

Ansicht der Gartenfassade von Schloss Charlottenburg (ohne Jahr (1718)) by Heinrich Jonas Ostertag und Lorenz Beger nach Johann Friedrich Eosander von GötheCharlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Heinrich Jonas Ostertag and Lorenz Beger after Johann Friedrich Eosander von Göthe, View of the Garden Façade of Charlottenburg Palace, undated (1718)

By 1964 first discussions were being held on whether to install statues on the balustrade of the façade of the palace facing the garden, as depicted in this eighteenth-century engraving, a project that was never carried out. The statues were intended to break up the horizontal plane of the façade and complete the palace as a Baroque Gesamtkunstwerk

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Altes Schloss, Gartenfassade (1962)Charlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, Old Palace, garden façade, state in 1962

In the reconstruction of the garden façade the balustrade initially remained empty of statuary, as in its pre-war state; however, a terrace was installed above the semicircular projecting central section of the façade, at the foot of the tower, as seen only in the idealized engraving by Eosander. Until the destruction of 1943 this part of the building had been covered by a half-hipped roof.

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Altes Schloss, Gartenfassade (2018)Charlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, Old Palace, garden façade, state in 2018

For the four lateral avant-corps Martin Sperlich designed an iconographic programme with the Muses and the Liberal Arts. Maecenas and Hercules were to stand at either end. For the central positions he chose Apollo and Minerva as patrons of the arts, and Pomona as representing the garden together with the allegory of Perspective for the architecture. 

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Altes Schloss, Gartenfassade, Aufstellung der Balustradenfiguren von Harald Haacke (1977)Charlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, Old Palace, garden façade, installation of the balustrade figures by Harald Haacke, state in November 1977

From 1971 to 1972, once the funding had been put in place and the work on the façade was almost completed, five sculptors were commissioned to produce four statues each. All these artists had made significant contributions to other reconstruction work on the palace. The only specifications were the Baroque pictorial programme, which was to be executed in a deliberately modern style, and the dimensions. 

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Altes Schloss, Gartenfassade, Aufstellung der Balustradenfiguren von Harald Haacke (November 1977)Charlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, Old Palace, garden façade, installation of the balustrade figures by Harald Haacke, state in November 1977

In a first stage the sculptors made sketch-like plaster models called bozzetti on a scale of 1:5, from which moulds were taken. After moulds had been formed from the model, the figures were then cast in aluminium in full size. The statues were gradually installed on the balustrade between November 1977 and September 1978.

Balustradenfigur der Geometrie (1978) by Günter AnlaufCharlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Günter Anlauf, balustrade figure representing Geometry, 1978, Aluminium, solid and cast, H 220 cm 

The figures on the eastern avant-corps were made by Günter Anlauf. Geometry is accompanied on the left by Gaius Maecenas, a Roman politician and patron of art, and by Arithmetic and Grammar on the right. Anlauf gave the figures flat featureless surfaces instead of faces.

Balustradenfigur der Muse Melpomene (1978) by Joachim DunkelCharlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Joachim Dunkel, balustrade figure of the muse Melpomene, 1978, Aluminium, solid and cast, H 220 cm

To the west of the central avant-corps are the figures by Joachim Dunkel. His interpretations of the muses Polyhymnia, Melpomene, Clio and Calliope are characterized by their expansive gestures. The faces are bluntly conceived, with enlarged nose, mouth and eyes. Dunkel gave them rough surfaces, leaving the traces of his working clearly visible. 

Balustradenfigur der Musik (1978) by Hans Joachim IhleCharlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Hans Joachim Ihle, balustrade figure representing Music, 1978, Aluminium, solid and cast, H 220 cm

Hans Joachim Ihle’s figures follow those by Anlauf on the balustrade. He created figures representing four of the seven liberal arts: Dialectics, Rhetoric, Astronomy and Music. He shows them in a moment of motion, adopting a characteristic feature of Baroque sculpture. 

Balustradenfigur des Herkules (1978) by Karl BobekCharlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Karl Bobek, balustrade figure of Hercules, 1978, Aluminium, solid and cast, H 220 cm

The last figures on the western end are by Hermann Noack. The rough, coarse surface of the statues makes details such as the face almost indiscernible. The three muses Thalia, Terpsichore and Erato are accompanied by Hercules, who carries a lyre in allusion to the arts. 

Balustradenfigur des Apollo (1978) by Harlad HaackeCharlottenburg Palace

A smoother path

Harald Haacke, balustrade figure of Apollo, 1977, Aluminium, solid and cast, H 220 cm

The statues on the central avant-corps are by Harald Haacke. Pomona, Apollo, Minerva and the allegory of Perspective are informed by a rather more severe, classicistic language of forms. The figures refer directly to their location, that is to say, to the garden, to art and to the architecture of the palace.

Potsdam, Park Sanssouci, Neue Kammern, Buffetsaal, Fayencen (1987) by Heidi MantheyCharlottenburg Palace

A short digression

Looking towards the example of Potsdam

Projects by contemporary artists were also integrated into the palaces and parks belonging to the State Palaces and Gardens Potsdam-Sanssouci in East Germany. The initiative for this had come from the Director of Palaces at the time, Heinz Schönemann. Previously he had been director of the collection of art at the Moritzburg in Halle. In Potsdam he commissioned artists such as Theo Balden, Gerhard Lichtenfeld, Heidi Manthey and Christa Sammler to create works as a replacements for lost artworks, also purchasing suitable objects from the artists’ studios.

Potsdam, Park Sanssouci, Neue Kammern, Buffetsaal (vor 1945)Charlottenburg Palace

A short digression

Potsdam, Sanssouci Park, New Chambers, Hall of the Buffet, state before 1945

During the reign of Frederick II, various porcelain vessels stood on consoles above the sideboards in the Hall of the Buffet of the New Chambers: six large Chinese goldfish basins and thirteen early classicistic vases and tureens made at the Royal Porcelain Manufactory in Berlin and at Meissen. However, all of these have been lost since 1945. 

Potsdam, Park Sanssouci, Neue Kammern, Buffetsaal, Buffet mit den Fayencen von 1987 (2009)Charlottenburg Palace

A short digression

Potsdam, Sanssouci Park, New Chambers, Hall of the Buffet, buffet with the faiences from 1987, state in 2009

Potsdam, Park Sanssouci, Neue Kammern, Buffetsaal, Fayencen (1987) by Heidi MantheyCharlottenburg Palace

A short digression

Potsdam, Sanssouci Park, New Chambers, Hall of the Buffet, faiences by Heidi Manthey, state in 2004

The ceramic artist Heidi Manthey was commissioned to recreate the original vessels in 1987. She took the size and proportions of the lost objects as her starting point but decorated them freely in her own style, making use of animal and plant motifs as well as portrait heads.

Contemporary wittness report. Only available in German.
00:00

Heinz Schönemann

Former Deputy Director General of the State Palaces and Gardens Potsdam-Sanssouci.
Click here for the transcription of the original sound.

Ansicht eines Wandbrunnens am Schloss Charlottenhof (um 1855) by Carl GraebCharlottenburg Palace

A short digression

Carl Graeb, View of a wall fountain at Schloss Charlottenhof, c. 1855

The watercolour by Carl Graeb shows a wall fountain at Schloss Charlottenhof, the upper part of which had been stolen. The subject of the relief was a scene from the Old Testament depicting Hagar in the desert with her son Ishmael as they are about to die of thirst. An angel shows her a spring that saves their lives. 

Potsdam, Park Sanssouci, Schloss Charlottenhof, Wandbrunnen (vor 1893)Charlottenburg Palace

A short digression

Potsdam, Sanssouci Park, Charlottenhof Villa, wall fountain, before 1893

Potsdam, Park Sanssouci, Reliefmontage am Schloss Charlottenhof (1976) by Christa SammlerCharlottenburg Palace

A short digression

Christa Sammler, relief montage for a fountain at Schloss Charlottenhof, 1976, Bronze, 70.5 x 44 cm 

In 1976, Christa Sammler made a contemporary work of art to replace the lost relief. For this she chose to use a cast of a representation of Valour originally on the portal of the demolished Berlin Building Academy designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and now incorporated in the Schinkel Pavilion in Berlin. Her choice was based on the fact that Schloss Charlottenhof was built to designs by Schinkel. As her own contribution, Sammler surrounded the youth standing on the prow of  a ship with nasturtium leaves.

Contemporary wittness report. Only available in German.
00:00

Heinz Schönemann

Former Deputy Director General of the State Palaces and Gardens Potsdam-Sanssouci.
Click here for the transcription of the original sound.

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Neuer Flügel, Schreibkammer Friedrichs II., Deckengemälde (1997) by Manfred Blessmann nach Antoine PesneCharlottenburg Palace

No compulsion

Later reconstructions of ceiling paintings in Charlottenburg Palace

The decision to commission a contemporary work of art for the ceiling of the White Hall was not a decision in principle for Charlottenburg Palace as a whole. Ceiling paintings continued to be reconstructed in cases where the conditions were right. Painting ceiling panels with skies of clouds was resorted to as another solution on the spectrum between reconstruction and new creation, for example in the staircase of the Old Palace.

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Altes Schloss, Kapelle, Südwand mit Malerei (1706 bis 1708) by Anthonie CoxieCharlottenburg Palace

No compulsion

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, Old Palace, chapel, south wall with painting by Anthonie Coxie, 1706–1708, state in 1943

The painting in the palace chapel was also reconstructed during the 1970s. It had been documented in colour photographs in 1943. However, considerations here initially took a completely different direction: around 1950 Margarete Kühn had been envisaging a modern ceiling painting, but from 1953 she planned to leave the chapel without painted decoration. 

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Altes Schloss, Kapelle, Südwand mit Malerei (1975 bis 1977) by Manfred Blessmann nach Anthonie CoxieCharlottenburg Palace

No compulsion

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, Old Palace, chapel, south wall with painting by Manfred Blessmann after Anthonie Coxie, 1975–1977, state in 2017

After initial tests it became clear that it would be eminently possible to reconstruct the painting. Around thirty per cent of the chapel’s painted decoration had been preserved. In 1971 Gunnar Vogt started restoring it and completing missing portions, work that was continued by Manfred Blessmann from 1976. 

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Neuer Flügel, Schreibkammer Friedrichs II., Deckengemälde (um 1746) by Antoine PesneCharlottenburg Palace

No compulsion

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, New Wing, Writing Room of Frederick II, ceiling painting by Antoine Pesne, c. 1746, state before 1943

Like the ceiling painting in the White Hall, the oval ceiling painting of Frederick II’s Writing Room in the New Wing was the work of the artist Antoine Pesne and had been destroyed in the Second World War. It depicted a torch-bearing putto against a cloudy sky. 

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Neuer Flügel, Schreibkammer Friedrichs II., Deckengemälde (1997) by Manfred Blessmann nach Antoine PesneCharlottenburg Palace

No compulsion

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, New Wing, Writing Room of Frederick II, ceiling painting by Manfred Blessmann after Antoine Pesne, 1979, state in 2017

The Palaces Department decided to have Pesne’s painting reconstructed, not only since it had been recorded in extant colour photographs but also because it had a relatively small surface area and a simple motif. Manfred Blessmann, who had already worked on the Palace Chapel, sought to emulate the coloration and quality of Antoine Pesne’s original painting. 

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Altes Schloss, Treppenhaus, Deckengemälde „Apoll und die Musen“ (um 1704) by Augustin TerwestenCharlottenburg Palace

No compulsion

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, Old Palace, staircase, ceiling painting by Augustin Terwesten, Apollo and the Muses, c. 1704, state before 1943

The ceiling of the staircase in the Old Palace was painted around 1704 by the Dutch artist Augustin Terwesten, court painter to King Frederick I and shows Apollo and the Muses. Terwesten’s successor at the Prussian court was Antoine Pesne, who executed the ceiling painting in the White Hall.

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Altes Schloss, Treppenhaus, Deckengemälde (1961) by Herbert SommerfeldCharlottenburg Palace

No compulsion

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, Old Palace, staircase, ceiling painting by Herbert Sommerfeld, 1961, state in 2017

Terwesten’s ceiling painting was also destroyed. In this case the Palaces Department decided in 1961 not to reconstruct the painting but to have it replaced with a sky of clouds, which was duly executed by Herbert Sommerfeld. In 1969 he was to reconstruct the coving of the White Hall that surrounds the ceiling painting by Hann Trier. 

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Neuer Flügel, Erstes Hautelice-Zimmer, Deckengemälde (1796) by Christoph KimpfelCharlottenburg Palace

No compulsion

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, New Wing, First Hautelice Room, ceiling painting by Johann Christoph Kimpfel, 1796, state in 1944

In the First Hautelice Room of his Winter Chambers, King Frederick William II had the walls decorated with hangings incorporating four tapestries (hautelices) of scenes from Don Quixote. In 1796, taking up the same theme, Johann Christoph Kimpfel painted the room’s oval ceiling with the scene ‘Tilting at Windmills’ after Charles-Antoine Coypel. 

Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg, Neuer Flügel, Erstes Hautelice-Zimmer, Deckengemälde (1989) by Menfred BlessmannCharlottenburg Palace

No compulsion

Berlin, Charlottenburg Palace, New Wing, First Hautelice Room, ceiling painting by Manfred Blessmann after Johann Christoph Kimpfel, 1989, state in 2017

In the mid-1980s the Palaces Department decided to have the Winter Chambers of Frederick William II restored, since there were extant holdings of original furniture and works of art. Manfred Blessmann was commissioned to create a reconstruction of the ceiling painting; however, it fails to convince, not least owing to the mediocre quality of the original. 

Deckengemälde und Wandmalereien im Lesesaal des Philosophischen Seminars der Universität Heidelberg (1979) by Hann TrierCharlottenburg Palace

The sky as a canvas

Impact on Hann Trier’s oeuvre

For Hann Trier the Charlottenburg ceiling painting was the first of many other commissions, some of which also involved ceiling paintings. Public institutions in Heidelberg and Cologne and at the Vatican commissioned works from Trier. This was the start of his large-format works, of which he would go on to paint a large number; however, the ceiling in Charlottenburg Palace remained the largest surface that Trier ever painted.

Renate Mayntz-Trier in ihrer Kölner Wohnung (2020-08-11)Charlottenburg Palace

Contemporary wittness report. Only available in German.
00:00

Renate Mayntz Trier

Sociologist and widow of Hann Trier. 
Click here for the transcription of the original sound.

Deckengemälde und Wandmalereien im Lesesaal des Philosophischen Seminars der Universität Heidelberg (1979) by Hann TrierCharlottenburg Palace

The sky as a canvas

Heidelberg, University, Reading Room of the Department of Philosophy, ceiling painting and mural by Hann Trier, 1979, state in 2011

In 1977 Trier was commissioned to paint the Reading Room of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Heidelberg. Cross-beams predetermined the articulation of the ceiling into three panels. Trier took his cue for the coloration from the red stone of the building’s façade. The walls are painted in a grey-green tone with structures in white and grey. 

Historisches Rathaus, Baldachin (1980) by Hann TrierCharlottenburg Palace

The sky as a canvas

Cologne, Historic City Hall, baldachin by Hann Trier, 1980 

Trier was commissioned to create a work for the modern Piazzetta of the partially reconstructed Cologne City Hall, with the request that it should help to leaven the atmosphere of the space. Trier supplied five designs, the choice eventually falling on a freely suspended structure with an irregularly shaped surface. The upper side shows the development of the city of Cologne in grisaille and the underside a free variation on the city’s coat of arms. 

Rom, Residenz des Botschafters der Bundesrepublik Deutschland beim Heiligen Stuhl, Speisesaal (2021)Charlottenburg Palace

The sky as a canvas

Rome, Residence of the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Holy See, dining room, ceiling painting by Hann Trier, 1984

In designing and executing his work for the residence of the German ambassador to the Holy See, Hann Trier had to take into account that the fourteen metre-long room can be divided with mirrored sliding panels and has a very low ceiling. 

Rom, Residenz des Botschafters der Bundesrepublik Deutschland beim Heiligen Stuhl, Speisesaal mit Deckenbild von Hann Trier (1984)Charlottenburg Palace

The sky as a canvas

Rome, Residence of the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Holy See, dining room, ceiling painting by Hann Trier, 1984, state in 2021

Köln, Museum Ludwig und Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Treppenhaus, Wandgemälde "Triumph der Malerei" (1985) by Hann TrierCharlottenburg Palace

The sky as a canvas

Cologne, Museum Ludwig and Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, staircase, mural by Hann Trier, The Triumph of Painting, 1985

A large-format contemporary work of art was being sought for the new staircase shared by the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum and the Museum Ludwig. The choice fell on Hann Trier. The painting was intended to provide a thematic link between the two museums, connecting historical with contemporary art, a connection that Trier had evoked time and again in his works.

Hann Trier died in 1999. His estate is administered by the Hann Trier Art Foundation in cooperation with the Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn.

Peter Schubert died on 21.03.2021 during the preparations for this exhibition.

Credits: Story

The White Hall and what came after: Modernism in reconstruction

Project management: Samuel Wittwer
Concept and realisation: Jule Sophie Christ
Assistance: Florian Dölle
Text: Jule Sophie Christ
Translation: Sophie Kidd and John Nicholson, Vienna

Special thanks to Kunststiftung Hann Trier and Peter Schubert Gesellschaft.

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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