December 15, 2004
Lenbachhaus in Munich
For 3 euro (approximately 4.01138 US dollars), I gained admittance to the Lenbachhaus Museum this last Saturday in Munich. Lately, I've been questioning just how much I really enjoy going to museums. The last couple expeditions haven't left me feeling terribly satisfied. I leave feeling overwhelmed and somewhat let down. I was a little nervous about going to this museum because I didn't want the same experience. Since I was there, and my student ID card gave me such a discount, why not see a collection of German Expressionism, the Blaue Reiter Group.
Of course, the whole museum was not dedicated to this group, so I passed through a multi-media exhibit which used dark and light and hypnotic movements. Then I climbed stairs to the second floor.
I don't really feel like doing a huge commentary on everything. At first, it felt like any museum. Paintings, people, benchs, white space, windows where you could see out side.
There were a couple pieces that caught my eye. I didn't write down the names of the artists. I wish I had now. But I did take a couple pictures, to be used for my own personal use on this Internet Web site. (note: these photos should not be used by anyone else perusing this site... not that they're great photos of the paintings.) By a couple, I mean about 40 or so. But don't worry. I narrowed down which pictures to put on here.
This is the room where I started getting really excited. I wish I could describe why. Maybe in another mood, I could, but I just loved the bright splotches of color, the piece-iness of it all. I loved being able to get up close and see the dried paint in clumps. These pieces were accessible to me. They almost seemed a part of me.
The photo of this Gabriele Muenter painting turned out blurry, but I still want to use it because I love the colors.
Some of the Kandinsky paintings were so small. Imagine fitting a colorful, splotchy world in your pocket or purse. I wish I could.
Some of the more famous German Expressionist paintings by Kandinsky, Klee, and Marc:
And the final salon was the Lenbach rooms, filled with art pieces collected by Lenbach.
As you exit, you descend using this staircase with broken bottles caught in the walls. Another time of day, and the reflections of brightly cut glass would be on the wall. I couldn't help but think of the movies - riot scenes in bars, when people break a bottle for a weapon. The riot inside after viewing art.
I'd like to sneak up the steps of this false entrance and lurk around the museum for days. I could slip inside and sit on the red benches. I'd like to take down the pieces of art and run my fingers over them and smell them. I wouldn't hurt them, really, other than the innocent passing of oil from my hands, which might not be great for preservation. But I'd stick them back on the walls when I was done. I want everyone to look at them.
