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Museum Folkwang: experiencing art in Essen

Exhibitions & Museums

July 17 through November 8

I, Gustave Courbet

Painter and rebel

A highlight of the summer’s temporary exhibition: the Museum Folkwang in Essen is dedicating a major retrospective to one of the most influential artists of the 19th century: Gustave Courbet—French painter and pioneer of modernism. Courbet was not only an artistic pioneer but also a fascinating personality with a strong political commitment. He made the daily lives of ordinary people and the social realities of his time the subject of his paintings and became famous overnight, particularly for his self-portraits. Today, Courbet is regarded as a pioneer of modernism. The exhibition features over 100 works across 900 square meters, including major pieces such as *L’origine Du monde* and *Le fou de peur*, and brings together a significant number of paintings from international museums, such as the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the Nasjonalmuseet for Kunst, Arkitektur og Design in Oslo, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In addition to this temporary exhibition, a visit to the excellent permanent collection is also well worth it. Admission to the collection is even free.