Grethe Jürgens

Rare opportunity

The comprehensive retrospective on Grethe Jürgens at the Sprengel Museum Hannover sheds light on an important representative of the New Objectivity of the 1920s. For the first time, part of her estate is being shown, comprising over 370 works from various creative phases. In the retrospective exhibition and catalogue, around 150 works will be shown to mark the 2025 anniversary year of New Objectivity, complemented by the publication of numerous documents for the first time. This is a rare opportunity to discover the artist Grethe Jürgens in her entire oeuvre, who has unfortunately long lagged behind other representatives of New Objectivity. With contributions by various authors, the catalogue offers insights into her work and life and pays tribute to her artistic significance. Born in Osnabrück in 1899, Grethe Jürgens began studying graphic art in Hanover, where she met artists who would later become known as the protagonists of "New Objectivity in Hanover". Early on, she devoted herself to characterful portraits and urban landscapes and later established her typical visual language with factual, distanced depictions of workers and marginalised groups, which was characterised by sober realism and an almost cool and emotionless view of the motifs. Her works are free of any accusations and prejudices, but attentively show social tensions and the challenges of life for the poor. Jürgens' artistic breakthrough came with her first exhibitions in 1928, after which she regularly took part in exhibitions in Hanover and her works were acquired by public collections. After the Nazis came to power, she had to register with the Reich Chamber of Fine Arts, but was not a member of the NSDAP and thus escaped confiscation. However, she adapted to the changed conditions, turned to landscapes and plants and characterised her style of "weed painting" with harmless natural motifs. Her "rubble paintings" of destroyed Hanover are unique in their impressive depiction of ruins and the beginnings of renewal. These works reflect both the horror of the war and the hopes of reconstruction. From the 1950s onwards, she regained her reputation and was increasingly recognised as an artist of New Objectivity. However, Jürgens now turned to abstract art and created series such as the "Line Compositions" and the "Kaleidoscopes". Her love of experimentation remained with her into old age, even though she increasingly oscillated between abstraction and figurative motifs.

Exhibition:
Sprengel Museum Hanover, 22/2 - 15/6/2025