A hidden early work by Gerhard Richter is back on display in Dresden after more than 40 years. The partial uncovering of the mural "Lebensfreude" at the Deutsches Hygiene Museum in Dresden has "come to a wonderful conclusion", said museum director Iris Edenheiser in a statement. "However, the critical examination of the layers of art and contemporary history under which the painting was also hidden has not been completed." This is only the beginning.
"No artistic significance" - work painted over in 1979
The approximately 63 square meter work was created by Richter in 1956 in a stairwell foyer of the museum as a diploma thesis at the end of his studies.
The mural with various groups of figures in everyday and leisure scenes was painted over in 1979 with the approval of the Institute for Monument Preservation, as "no artistic significance was to be attached to this 'student work'". The Dresden-born artist's "flight from the republic" in 1961 is also reportedly mentioned in this context.
The museum made initial efforts to uncover the work back in 1994, but Richter did not agree. From 2022, considerations were then made as to how the historical dimension could be made visible and experienced. This led to the idea of uncovering a central section of the work, which met with the world-famous artist's approval. The 93-year-old Richter now lives in Cologne.
Show restoration during exhibition
Parallel to a special exhibition on the history of the GDR at the museum, several layers of paint were removed from the work and restored in recent months as part of a public show restoration.
The project, which cost a total of 220,000 euros, was carried out by the German Hygiene Museum Foundation and the Wüstenrot Foundation in cooperation with the Dresden University of Fine Arts.
"It was worth it!" said Martin Hoernes, Secretary General of the Ernst von Siemens Art Foundation, which supported the project with a grant. The partial uncovering provides new insights into Richter's artistic career and impressively illustrates the history of the museum building's use.
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