“A thrilling female perspective on sex, self, birth and death"
The i
“A revelatory look at four female artists”
Evening Standard
"Trailblazing women whose work has so often been hidden"
The Times
"A survey of Expressionism from a female perspective"
The Telegraph
Discover the trailblazing women hidden from the history of 20th-century Modernism.
• This exhibition will be open until 9pm on Friday evenings. • Our galleries, shops and restaurants close at 6pm Tuesday–Thursday and at 9pm on Friday.
Making Modernism is the first major UK exhibition devoted to pioneering women working in Germany in the early 1900s: Paula Modersohn-Becker, Kӓthe Kollwitz, Gabriele Münter and Marianne Werefkin.
Celebrated in their native homelands, this exhibition will introduce their innovative paintings and works on paper, alongside key pictures by Erma Bossi, Ottilie Reylaender and Jacoba van Heemskerck.
The exhibition reframes subjects such as self-portraiture, still-life, the female body, depictions of childhood, landscapes and urban scenes through the experiences and perspectives of these ground-breaking artists who – although less familiar than their male counterparts, such as Wassily Kandinsky – were no less central to the development of radical new approaches to art in Europe.
Bringing together 65 works, many never seen in the UK before, Making Modernism foregrounds the individuality of each artist whilst shining a spotlight on the strong affinities between them. Combining impressive, bold and intimately-scaled works, this exhibition explores themes of identity, representation and belonging – all powerfully relevant today.
Our Friends preview days take place on Thursday 10 November, 10am-6pm, and Friday 11 November, 10am-9pm.
Tues–Sun: 10am–6pm
Fri: 10am–9pm
Tickets £17-19 (including donation). Concessions available. For the best experience, book ahead.
The Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Galleries
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What would Modernism look like if you saw it through the eyes of women artists? How could it change your perception? What other stories might you find?
Watch Royal Academy curators Sarah Lea and Professor Dorothy Price discuss the pioneering work of Paula Modersohn-Becker, Kӓthe Kollwitz, Gabriele Münter and Marianne Werefkin, four women making art on their own terms.
Marianne Werefkin, Twins, 1909.
Gabriele Münter, Portrait of Anna Roslund, 1917.
Paula Modersohn-Becker, Baby, Breastfeeding, c.1904.
Paula Modersohn-Becker, Girl with Child, 1902.
Käthe Kollwitz, Lovers Nestling Against Each Other, 1909/10.
Marianne Werefkin, Circus – Before the Show, 1908-10.
Paula Modersohn-Becker, Still-life with Goldfish Bowl, 1906.
Gabriele Münter, Still-life on the Tram (After Shopping), c. 1912.
Making Modernism puts Germany’s pioneering women artists – Paula Modersohn-Becker, Kӓthe Kollwitz, Gabriele Münter and Marianne Werefkin – centre stage.
Writer Rachel Cusk reflects on how they emerged from the shadow of their male peers.
Take a look around our show devoted to trailblazing women of 20th-century Modernism, guided by its curators Sarah Lea and Professor Dorothy Price.
From the creeks of Louisiana to the clifftops of Cornwall, modern artists have found sanctuary and inspiration in all sorts of places. Today you can visit their studio-homes and see their lives much as they left them – here are a few not to miss.
The Berlin-based artist’s profound compassion and expressive depictions of those suffering were rooted in first-hand experience.
Torn between domestic life and the studio, the German painter portrayed women in a startling new light.
A dynamic influence in artistic circles, the Russian-born painter devised a haunting idiosyncratic style of her own
A founder member of the Blue Rider, the art group at the heart of German Expressionism, Münter developed a spontaneous painting method that captured the essence of things.