Press release
The Reiner Winkler Ivory Collection in the Liebieghaus is complete

As of 2 June, the Liebieghaus will present more than 200 precious ivory sculptures of the Baroque and Rococo periods in the exhibition “Splendid White”

A few years ago, the Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung succeeded in making the most significant addition to its own holdings in the history of the museum: a collection of precious ivory sculptures of the Baroque and Rococo periods from the estate of the patron Reiner Winkler (1925–2020). The Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung, the Städelsche Museums-Verein, and the Städel Museum, with the support of the Kulturstiftung der Länder and the Hessische Kulturstiftung, acquired this unique collection, which was made possible in the first place by Reiner Winkler’s generous donation of the majority of the collection. Since then, masterpieces by world-famous sculptors, such as Fury on a Charging Horse (1610), The Three Parcae (ca. 1670), Chronos on the Globe (ca. 1720/25?), and the Allegory of Damnation in Hell (Anima Dannata?) (1736) have been on display at the Liebieghaus in the exhibition “White Wedding.”

With the exhibition and new collection presentation “Splendid White,” the Reiner Winkler Ivory Collection at the Liebieghaus is now complete: as of 2 June 2022, more than 200 historical ivory works will be presented – including a further twenty-one outstanding works of art that remained in the private collection of Reiner Winkler until his death and are now accessible to the public for the first time. In the new collection presentation, the beauty, virtuosity, and richness of variation of baroque ivory carving can be experienced in an impressive way. The last works of art to be displayed and hung in the patron’s private home, including portrait medallions, large-format reliefs with Christian religious motifs and genre scenes, as well as an impressive combination figure, add essential exhibits to the previous collection presentation at the Liebieghaus. The portrait of a pope and larger series of stately portraits expand the portrait section. In addition, the art landscapes of Sicily and Dieppe, as well as the oeuvres of pioneering sculptors and sculptor families, including, for example, Paul Herrmann and the two carvers Carl August Lücke the Elder and the Younger, can also be expanded. In addition, the close connection of ivory art with exemplary graphic or folk art becomes clear, making cultural-historical connections more visible.

Download the complete press release here.

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