The Women of German Modernism
Although the rise of German Modern was shaped by contributions from men and women in all its cultural manifestations, it is the masculine contribution that has been most celebrated and closely examined. Yet to enter this world through the eyes of the women who participated in it offers a wholly different experience, often challenging the male-centric narratives of Expressionism and the seismic events of the early 20th century. One of the few female artists to gain recognition during her lifetime was Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945). A committed pacifist, her work advocated for social change and justice, often charting the struggles of the poorest and most marginalised members of society. Working as a painter, sculptor and printmaker, she found ways to disseminate her ideas to the masses and was fearless in her political standpoint; there is a compassion and intimacy to her work that is innately, movingly and fascinatingly feminine. In contrast to Kollwitz’s career, Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876-1907) remained relatively unknown during her short lifetime but is posthumously credited with ushering in the great German Expressionist movement. This is in part due to her openness and curiosity towards the work of her international contemporaries, a curiosity that drew her to study in Paris for periods of her life, where she adored the work of the post-impressionists, an admiration that was not shared by many of her artistic colleagues at Worpswede. Amongst others, discover the work of these bold, female pioneers on this essential new Art Pursuits tour.
Your Tour Includes
- Return flights from London to Hamburg, returning from Berlin
- 3 nights’ bed and breakfast in the Radisson Blu, Bremen
- 1 night bed and breakfast in the Maritim ProArte Hotel, Berlin
- 2 evening meals and 2 lunches
- Guided visits to sites listed in the programme
- Services of your expert lecturer and Tour Manager
- Detailed programme and study notes
Tom Abbott
Tom Abbott studied psychology and art history in the US before completing his graduate research in the history of art and architecture in Berlin, where he now lives. Tom also studied at the Louvre School of Art History in Paris and has lectured around the world, specialising in architecture and art from the Renaissance to the Baroque and beyond.
Itinerary
To use our NEW itinerary, simply click a day below and a detailed overview will appear.
Overview
Morning flight from London Heathrow to Hamburg. Transfer by private coach to the Hamburger Kunsthalle, one of Germany’s largest art galleries. After a group lunch at the museum, we will explore its collection, giving particular focus to the work of Paula Modersohn-Becker, including several of her strikingly intimate female portraits, and others of the Worpswede Group. Continue to Bremen and check in to our hotel, where we will enjoy a meal together in the evening.
Includes Lunch
Includes Dinner
Overview
A day in Bremen on foot. Our first visit is to the Bremen Kunsthalle, which houses a collection spanning 700 years of art. Highlights include works by Franz Marc, Edvard Munch, Paula Modersohn-Becker and Käthe Kollwitz. After an independent lunch, we discover historic Bremen; the majestic cathedral, which rises from one end of a picturesque market square, and the Bremen Roland, the oldest surviving statue of Roland, paladin of Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne, erected in 1404. Nearby, the unusual Böttcherstraße – a street designed in the Expressionist style – is home to the Paula Modersohn-Becker Museum and the Roselius Museum, which houses the private collection of the coffee merchant Ludwig Roselius, who was largely responsible for the Böttcherstraße remodelling initiative between 1922 and 1931. There will be time to visit both before we return to our hotel for an evening at leisure.
Includes Breakfast
Included Highlights
Overview
By coach to Worpswede, to spend the day exploring the artists’ colony established at the end of the 19th century. Art Nouveau painter Fritz Mackensen and landscape painter Otto Modersohn were the first to arrive, in the late 1880s, followed by Paula Becker, who later married Modersohn, and others. Many of the historic artists’ homes and studios have been preserved as museums and galleries, although the settlement continues to foster creative ambition to this day. The Große Kunstschau holds some of the most famous works created by this first generation of artist settlers and we will explore this collection in the morning, as well as the Barkenhoff, which celebrates the life’s work of painter, designer and architect Heinrich Vogeler. After lunch, visit the romantic Haus im Schluh, former home of Vogeler’s first wife, Martha, filled with art and furniture designed by Vogeler. Finally, the Worpsweder Kunsthalle houses an impressive collection of work by multiple generations of Worpswede artists, charting how the colony’s spirit has mutated through the ages. Return to Bremen.
Includes Breakfast
Overview
Depart Bremen for Berlin, checking in to our new hotel before enjoying a group lunch. In the afternoon, a visit to the New National Gallery will reveal works by the likes of Lotte Laserstein, the Jewish painter who fled Germany for Sweden in 1937, Paula Modersohn-Becker, Dada artist Hannah Höch, one of the originators of photomontage, and contemporary visual artist Rebecca Horn. Works by the likes of Edvard Munch, Max Beckmann and Paul Klee are also on display. Short coach transfer to Unter den Linden, Berlin’s landmark 19th-century promenade, where the Neue Wache war memorial is home to Käthe Kollwitz’s deeply moving sculpture, ‘Mother with her Dead Son’. The artist began work on the sculpture in 1937 and it is an enlarged casting of this original piece that occupies the space today. Return to our hotel.
Includes Breakfast
Includes Lunch
Includes Dinner
Included Highlights
Overview
A morning to explore the Käthe Kollwitz Museum. Berlin’s most famous female artist, she encountered much hardship and suffering in her lifetime and is perhaps best known for her intimate and harrowing depictions of human torment, hauntingly universal and timeless in their themes. The collection presents more than 200 examples of sculpture, drawing, woodcuts and prints. After lunch, our time in Berlin concludes with a visit to the Berlinische Galerie, where our focus will be the works of Hannah Höch and the German Modern movement. Coach transfer to the airport for our homeward flight to London Heathrow.
Includes Breakfast
Accommodation
You will stay for three nights at the Radisson Blu and one night at the Maritim proArte.
Radisson Blu
Located in Bremen’s heart, you’ll wake up each morning in Böttcherstraße - a work of art in its own right - and enjoy the central location of Bremen's old town between the Weser River and the Market Square. You’ll also be staying at the city’s most sustainable hotel with an official Green Key and BREEAM certification. All rooms include cable TV and a modern bathroom. There are vegan and vegetarian options at the restaurant in the hotel lobby where you can enjoy your mornings and evenings.
Hotel Facilities
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General
- 4 Star
- Restaurant
Room
- Air Conditioning
Service
- Room Service Available
- 24 Hour Front Desk
- Gym
Hotel
- Restaurant
Maritim Proarte
The Maritim proArte Hotel Berlin is located on the famous Friedrichstrasse, with the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the Galeries Lafayette and the Gendarmenmarkt only a brief walk away.
Hotel Facilities
Need further information? Fill in our enquiry form and we'll get back to you as soon as we can
Room
- Tea and Coffee Making Facilities
- Safe Box
- Free Wifi
General
- Restaurant
Hotel
- Restaurant
- WiFi Available
