Collection

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Kunsthalle Mannheim/Elmar Witt

The Collection of Kunsthalle Mannheim

After its foundation in 1909, Kunsthalle Mannheim took on a pioneering role on the German museum scene with its modern collection concepts. As early as 1910, Fritz Wichert (1909-1923) acquired its most famous painting: Édouard Manet's "The Execution of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico". Gustav Friedrich Hartlaub (1923-1933) coined the term "New Objectivity" in 1925 and brought the realistic painting of the late 1920s to Mannheim. After the Second World War, the Kunsthalle became one of the leading museums with a focus on sculpture. It developed into a key museum of classical modern and contemporary art. The collection currently comprises around 2,300 paintings, 860 sculptures and installations, 34,000 graphic artworks, and 800 objects of applied art. In addition to masterpieces of painting and graphic art from Max Beckmann to Francis Bacon, the collection highlights include a range of sculptures from Auguste Rodin to Thomas Hirschhorn. It also features installations by Alicja Kwade, Rebecca Horn, William Kentridge, Joseph Kosuth and James Turrell.

Painting

Sculpture, Installation, New Media

Graphic Art Collection

Current Emphasis of the Collection

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Focus Collection

Discover the current presentations of our collection at Kunsthalle Mannheim

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Restoration

To ensure that the Kunsthalle's collection is preserved for future generations, elaborate and cost-intensive restorations are necessary.

Provenance Research

From November 2011 to July 2018, the Kunsthalle systematically researched the provenance of all the paintings, sculptures and graphics created before 1945 in its holdings, the aim being to identify possible Nazi-looted art.

Collection Online

Go on a treasure hunt in the Collection Online and discover masterpieces from all areas of the collection.