“Once upon a time in America.” 300 years of American art at the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum in Cologne. Until March 24, 2019

“Once upon a time in America”

No, not Sergio Leone’s massive gangster epic from 1984, with Robert De Niro, which tells of the rise and fall of a mafia gang over several decades, from the 1920s to the 1960s.

I’m talking about the exhibition “Once upon a time in America,” which is at least as exciting and tells an entire history of art. The Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne shows a chronological overview of 300 years of American art, from 1670 to 1958, to be precise. Portraits, landscapes, historical events, genre scenes and still lifes. The focus is on painting. Drawing, photography and sculpture broaden the view. To a certain extent a “pictures walk” through US American art history, in eight chapters. Lively diversity that gradually liberates itself from European models and creates its own strong, multi-faceted identity.

(Art) History as a Walk

Classicism at the time of the American War of Independence was still clearly oriented towards European models. For example, portraits of wealthy settlers who wanted to document their status. Significant historical events, such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence (John Trumbull, 1832). George Stuart’s Washington Portrait (ca. 1800). Does that look familiar to you? Yes, exactly. It is the George Washington of the American dollar note.

The partly glorified landscape of the “Wild West”, often exalted as a place of longing, is a strong theme in the late 19th century, for example by Albert Bierstatt, who – immigrated from Solingen – projects European painting fashion into the American landscape. Industrialization, on the one hand with its wealth, on the other with its dark sides, as it was shown by the representatives of American realism in the early 20th century. Slums, illegal boxing fights, drunks, social misery, as in the works of George Wesley Bellows or George Benjamin Luke. Edward Hopper’s psychological realism, which brings desolate isolation to the canvas. Hopper is represented four times by the way, but not with his iconic “Nighthawks”, but with “Girl at a Sewing Machine” and “Hodgkin’s House”.

Familiar and Strange

What is so unusual about this exhibition? When it comes to US-American art, the European focus is strongly on art after 1945, which had a great influence worldwide on the development and establishment of new, very independent art movements. American art? Many people probably think of Jackson Pollock, Wilhelm de Kooning or Mark Rothko, as the first names to stand for abstract expressionism. Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns. Or Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keefe. Barnett Newman. Or the superstars of Pop Art, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, to name but a few. Actually, this is more of a case for the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, which is nearby.

This chapter „1945 onwards” is, of course, also available at the end of the chronologically arranged show. Barnett Newman’s “Horizon Light” or Rothko’s “Earth and Green”. But in the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, this range of pictures is further expanded. More than 130 works can be seen, many of which are being exhibited outside the USA for the first time.

“Once upon a time in America”. A stroll for explorers

There’s a lot to see: Large and well-known, but also, quite different, probably largely “unknown” works, such as John Singletonopley’s highly dramatic work “Watson and the Shark” from 1782, a true US icon, which is probably not missing in any American history book, but would probably not be named among the “Top 10” of American art in our country. Because European museums don’t have so much American art before 1945 in their collections.

Thus, the Cologne walk through American art history is something for “discoverers”, and very entertaining. The very extensive, thoroughly prepared catalogue of the exhibition provides sound background material, quasi as an illustrated history book. Get involved in this discovery tour, perhaps as a change from the pre-Christmas hustle and bustle. Afterwards, you can still stroll through the Christmas market. Because it’s just around the corner as well. A Merry Christmas and a lot of fun!