Expressionist artworks from Leicester’s renowned collection are currently on display at the Tate Modern in London as part of a major new exhibition.
The exhibition, Expressionists: Kandinsky, Münter and the Blue Rider, explores the work of the Blue Rider group of artists, who joined together to form ‘a union of various countries to serve one purpose’ – to transform modern art. The artists rallied around Wassily Kandinsky and Gabriele Münter to experiment with colour, sound and light, creating bold and vibrant art.
The items currently on display at the Tate from Leicester’s collection are ‘Behind the Church’, a 1916 oil painting by Lyonel Feininger, and ‘Wild Horses’, a 1912 woodcut postcard by Franz Marc. Also on display is ‘Animal from a Fable (Gazelle)’, a 1912 colour woodcut by Franz Marc, which is on long-term loan to Leicester Museums. All three are usually on display at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery.
The exhibition has received some fantastic reviews, and has been praised for its rousing use of colour, demonstrating the force of the Expressionist movement and its long-lasting impact.
Cllr Vi Dempster, assistant city mayor for culture, said: “Leicester’s German Expressionism collection is internationally acclaimed and a fantastic resource for the city – and one that is available for everyone to access, free of charge, at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery.
“It’s wonderful that works that are usually on display in Leicester are forming part of a collection at the Tate Modern and receiving rave reviews. It highlights how lucky we are to have these works available for the people of Leicester to enjoy.”
The exhibition at the Tate Modern runs until 20 October. Book tickets at www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/expressionists
