April 2008
The Cradle of the Blue Rider
The academy of fine arts munich
No specific class schedule, no steady mechanism,” was the dictum proscribed by the founding document of the
Akademie der Bildenden Künste München (Academy of Fine Arts Munich). Dating back to May 13, 1808, this document marks yet another of Munich’s many anniversaries this year.
The previous history of the academy goes back to the 18th century; in 1770 Elector Maximi-lian III Joseph decided to support a drawing school that had been privately established four years before. In comparison to newly founded art academies in Berlin, Dresden, Vienna, Leipzig and Düsseldorf, however, the existing drawing school did not have equivalent competitive standards. Therefore, King Maximilian I of Bavaria commissioned Johann Christian von Mannlich—the director of the Munich Art Gallery at that time—to render an expert opinion. After long deliberations over von Mannlich’s proposal on how to improve the situation of art schools in Bavaria, Maximilian I enacted the constitution of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Munich. The former head of the art academy in Düsseldorf, Johann Peter von Langer, was appointed the first director of the Munich academy. His secretary general, philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling—an eminent purveyor of German Idealism—was among those who drafted the academy’s constitution.
From its very beginning, the academy offered a broad variety of classes, including workshops for painting, sculpture, architecture and the art of engraving. Besides fulfilling its educational mandate, the academy soon became regarded as a society of artists, who advised and supported the royal court and the Bavarian state in cultural matters. In 1833, the Bavarian state administration ordered all communities to commission paintings and pictures for public purposes exclusively to members of the academy. Such support and the individual artistic achievements of academy students spurred young artists from Scandinavia, Russia and the USA to flock to Munich by the middle of the 19th century. Among the students at that time was Franz von Lenbach, who became a renowned portrait painter and is often mentioned in the same breath with academy associates Franz von Stuck and Wilhelm von Kaulbach. A fellow student of Lenbach was Wilhelm Busch, author of
Max und Moritz, whose pranks delight children and adults to this very day. (Having combined drawings with humorous texts in Max und Moritz, Busch can be considered a precursor to comic strips).
By the end of the 19th century, Munich’s art academy enjoyed such a high international reputation that even Picasso, when he was asked to which art school he would send his son, chose Munich over Paris. Picasso’s choice was justified by the fame of many students who studied in Munich at the turn of the 20th century. Franz Marc and Wassily Kandinsky—founders of both German Expressionism and the artist group “Blue Rider”—Paul Klee and Giorgio de Chirico were all students of the academy. This fruitful period came to an abrupt end with the outbreak of World War I. Thereafter, between the two World Wars, the international importance of the educational art institution declined and was further corrupted by the National Socialists. In the post-war years, the academy could not easily shake off this dark legacy. Though renowned professors from the international art scene have been appointed during the last decades, the art production of the academy has not yet recovered its past worldwide fame.
Located at Akademiestrasse adjacent to the
Siegestor and Leopoldstrasse, the academy resides in a monumental neo-renaissance building. It is a broad edifice with a central pavilion flanked by two wings opening out to four corner pavilions. Finished in 1886 and based on the plans of Gottfried von Neureuther, the building could only be financed through French reparations following the war of 1870/71. Like many representative historical buildings in Munich, the edifice today is only a partial replica of the original that suffered major damage during World War II. For example, the original concave French roofs on the pavilions, which gave the building an elegant and light impression, were replaced by flat roofs. For economical reasons, a sculpture of Pallas Athene surmounting the central block was not rebuilt. Even though the academy stretches over much of the Akademie-strasse, the space soon became inadequate for the multifarious creations of some 700 students. An extension on the west side of the historical building was finished in 2005. Its glass and asymmetrical design is a spectacular piece of modern architecture by the Viennese architecture firm coophimmelb(l)au. Diagonal chutes and bridges connect the academy’s departments. A patio café opens the academy to
the public. The reactions to coophimmelb(l)au’s design were quite controversial. Some describe the extension as an energetic complex that successfully integrates its many purposes: from artist studios and administrational offices to functional rooms. Others decry the design as cryptic on the outside and confusing in the interior. Aside from general questions of taste, though, the most prevalent architectural issue seems to be that the spectacular design has an intimidating effect on experimental young aspiring artists.
To present an overview of the latest works by academy students, a comprehensive exhibition will be on display at the old and the new building at Akademiestrasse from June 22 through July 5. The 200-year anniversary celebrations of the Akademie der Bildenden Künste have already commenced with an architecture exhibition at the Pinakothek der Moderne, lasting through
May 18. From March 1, there also will be a selection of jewelry craftwork by students studying under Otto Künzli. Both the Museum Villa Stuck and Haus der Kunst will feature historical exhibitions on the academy from the beginning of June. For further activities of the art academy, visit
www.200-jahre-kunstakademie.de. <<<
