Rebellion des gemeinen Mannes. 500 Jahre Bauernaufstand aus künstlerischer Sicht

"told that we are free and want to be"

To mark the 500th anniversary of the Peasants' War, the Kunsthalle Vogelmann Heilbronn is presenting an unusual exhibition in which the historical events and protagonists are illuminated from three perspectives. The "Barbara Altar" by the painter Jerg Ratgeb, which he painted between 1509 and 1510 on behalf of the Count Neipperg family, takes centre stage. Jerg Ratgeb, whose wife was a serf, became the central protagonist of the uprising as a mediator for the peasants and was sentenced to death for high treason and executed after the Battle of Böblingen. Artists such as Käthe Kollwitz with her "Peasants' War Cycle" (1902-08), HAP Grieshaber in his "Hommage à Ratgeb" (1975) and Alfred Hrdlicka with his "Peasants' War" cycle (1980) show that the historical events were of great significance well into the 20th century. They show that the Peasants' Revolt was always invoked for socio-political reasons on the one hand, but was also a good opportunity for artistic self-staging on the other. To this end, four contemporary positions were specially invited for the exhibition following a competition. They pose questions about the relevance of the historical events today, some of them subtly, some ironically, and aim to illustrate the complex connections and challenges of this unusual time from today's perspective.

AND VERY UP-TO-DATE: "Quite sexy", writes DER SPIEGEL (No. 18/26.4.25), the AI-generated narrative figures in the large state exhibition "UFFRUR!" in Schussenried Monastery to mark the 500th anniversary of the Peasants' War (until 5.10.25). The "'peasant chancellor' and church painter Jerg Ratgeb is curly-haired and well-trained in a sky-blue slim-fit satin shirt". His Barbara Altarpiece (1509-10) ranks between Gothic and Renaissance in its narrative drasticness and was commissioned by Count von Neipperg for St John's Church in Schwaigern; the altarpiece is probably his "most blatant" work - according to the above interpretation. According to legend, the patron saint of miners was beheaded with a sword by her own father, a pagan, after she had professed Christianity; her father was then struck down by lightning. In 1525, after the defeat of the peasants near Böblingen and the persecution of the well-known protagonists on the peasant side, "Jerg Ratgeb, the AI creation in the satin shirt, was one of the victims: because he had fought for freedom, he was quartered in Pforzheim", according to DER SPIEGEL.

Exhibition:
Municipal Museums Heilbronn/Art Gallery Vogelmann, 1/2 - 25/5/2025