Albert Muller
dal 5/2/2010 al 8/5/2010
Segnalato da
5/2/2010
Albert Muller
Kunstmuseum Basel, Basel
Drawings, Paintings, Sculptures and Prints. Within a few short years, the Basel painter, draftsman, printmaker and sculptor became one of the main exponents of Expressionism in Switzerland. His extensive oeuvre, devoted primarily to landscapes and the human figure, emerged within the context of the contemporary avant-garde, his friendship with Ernst Ludwig Kirchner playing a decisive role in this regard.
Curated by Christian Müller & Gudula Metze
The Basel painter, draftsman, printmaker and sculptor Albert Müller (1897–1926) is
considered one of the main exponents of Swiss Expressionism. Müller received his
initial artistic training in his native city, at a glass-painting studio and at the Allgemeine
Gewerbeschule, the local vocational arts school. Galvanised by the example of Cuno
Amiet, he was soon using luminous colours that diverged strongly from the dark tones
typical of the established painters of the area. His work first began attracting the notice of
a wider audience in 1919.
Although Müller moved to Ticino two years later, he retained close ties to Basel’s cultural
life. His active engagement with the avant-garde set off a period of intense artistic
development: he took much of his inspiration from Louis Moilliet and Edvard Munch until
his encounter with the work of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner in 1923 and subsequent friendship
with the artist provided the starting point for his own pictorial language.
Now Müller produced a rapid succession of landscapes and variations on the theme of the
human figure, frequently using his own family as models. There were numerous
energetically drawn sketches, strong-hued watercolours and paintings marked by sharply
juxtaposed areas of colour. His wood sculptures, coarsely carved for greater
expressiveness, were in most cases painted, too. A major role in his oeuvre was reserved
for graphic work, be it in the form of powerfully contrast-rich woodcuts or of etchings
enabling the artist to exploit the entire spectrum of greys with the help of aquatinta and
brush etching.
In 1924, on New Year’s Eve, Albert Müller, Hermann Scherer and Paul Camenisch
founded the “Rot-Blau” (Red-Blue) artists’ association in the hope of improving conditions
for exhibitions and public commissions in Basel. Although Müller belonged to the group
only briefly, he made a decisive contribution to the breakthrough of modern art in the city
of his birth.
The Kupferstichkabinett acquired a considerable number of drawings and prints from
Müller’s estate in 1929, only a few years after the artist’s early death – holdings that have
meanwhile expanded considerably thanks to purchases and donations. Supplemented by
paintings and sculptures belonging to the Kunstmuseum, the exhibition offers a
representative survey of Müller’s work.
Image: Kinder in der Stube 1925 Aquarell und Gouache über schwarzer Kreide auf Papier. Kunstmuseum Basel, Kupferstichkabinett, Inv. 2008.70. Foto: Kunstmuseum Basel, Martin P. Bühler
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Christian Selz Tel +41 61 206 62 06 fax +41 61 206 62 52
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Opening 6 February 2010
Kunstmuseum Basel
St. Alban-Graben 16, Basel
Opening Hours Tue - Sun 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
closed on Monday
Admission:
Adults, over 18 years 11.00 Euro
Family pass (2 adults + adolescents) 22.00 Euro
Groups (more than 20 pers.) 9.00 Euro
Students (13-30 years) 4.00 Euro
Children, under 12 years free
Audio-guide (collection) 1.50 Euro