Invitation to the press conference on “Paula Modersohn-Becker und Edvard Munch. The Big Questions of Life” at 11 am on Friday, 6 February 2026 in the Albertinum

Under the title ‘The Big Questions of Life,’ works by Paula Modersohn-Becker and Edvard Munch are being presented together for the first time in a major exhibition at the Albertinum of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD). The show juxtaposes outstanding works by these two artists, each of whom addressed fundamental questions of life in their own distinctive style. The exhibition is being held to mark a special anniversary: 150 years ago, on 8 February 1876, Paula Modersohn-Becker was born in Dresden.

In collaboration with the Munchmuseet Oslo, the Albertinum is exhibiting around 150 paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptures. These include numerous internationally significant loans from museums, foundations, and private collections, as well as key works from among the SKD’s own holdings.

In an era of existential searching and changing values, Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876–1907) and Edvard Munch (1863–1944) drew on their own personal experiences to create works that continue to move us today with their authenticity and emotional intensity. Theworks on display span the period from the 1890s to Modersohn-Becker’s early death in 1907 and Munch’s return from Germany to Norway in 1908.

The period around 1900 was marked by technological progress and the far-reaching changes in everyday life that accompanied it. The concept of “life” was omnipresent during those years: it was used as a trope for naturalness and youth, in opposition to convention and stagnation. Becoming, being, and perishing – life, love, and death – were pressing themes in philosophy and art. These essential facets are also reflected in the central motifs of Modersohn-Becker and Munch – from childhood and youth to interactions between the sexes, as well as motherhood and birth, sickness and death.

During her time in the artists’ colony at Worpswede and her stays in Paris, Paula Modersohn-Becker developed a working method that was as unique as it was innovative. The simplicity of her work signifies the dignity of the human person, but also affinity with nature. Although Paula Modersohn-Becker’s work received little attention during her lifetime, critics recognised her just a few years later as a pioneer of Expressionism.

Munch gained popularity in Berlin in the 1890s with works such as ‘Vampire’ and ‘The Sick Child,’ well-known versions of which will also be on display at the Albertinum. In his art, he processed personal emotions and experiences of loss with provocative directness. His main subjects include encounters between the sexes, but also life-affirming depictions of nature and poignant portraits of children.

Spacious exhibition areas are dedicated to the works of Modersohn-Becker and Munch. Alongside these, separate sections directly compare the two artists’ concepts of nature, their ideas about the cycle of life, and their connections to various Life Reform movements around 1900. Selected works by Vincent van Gogh, Auguste Rodin, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, and Otto Modersohn, among others, provide insights into the artistic thinking of the time.

In the run-up to the exhibition, members of the public were invited to submit texts on the big questions of life as part of the interactive campaign ‘Life Letters.’ The results of this project can be viewed on the voices platform and in a digital presentation in the exhibition, which continues to invite participation. The texts are supplemented by short video statements from well-known personalities who highlight the relevance of the works of Paula Modersohn-Becker and Edvard Munch today.

The catalogue accompanying the exhibition, edited by the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Birgit Dalbajewa and Andreas Dehmer, is being published by Sandstein Kultur. 280 pages, museum price €25, bookshop price €38, ISBN: 978-3-95498-898-3.

to the exhibition

Duration

8 February to 31 May 2026

Opening hours

Daily 11 am to 5 pm, closed on Mondays

Evening opening on Thursdays, 5 – 8 pm

Admission

Timed ticket: regular €14, concessions €10.50, Sparkassen-Card holders €10.50, under 17s free of charge

Combined ticket for special exhibition and permanent exhibition of the Albertinum: regular

€19, concessions €14.50, under 17s free of charge

From April 2026 children aged 6 years and over €2