Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Pablo Picasso shaped the art of the 20th century like few other artists. While Picasso is celebrated as the inventor of Cubism, Kirchner stands for the expressive power of German Expressionism. Both developed radical visual languages, both influenced their time – and left a lasting impact on subsequent generations. Discover two extraordinary artistic worlds – and what surprisingly connects them.
"Kirchner. Picasso" sheds light on hitherto little-noticed connections and differences in the work of the two exceptional talents: from the exploration of identity, body, and gender to the role of the artist in a changing society – the exhibition invites you to discover parallels and contrasts in the works of the two artists. The focus here is on painting, complemented by selected sculptures, graphic works, and drawings.
Kirchner's wish to exhibit together with Picasso was for the painter an expression of his self-conception as a modern artist. His works were intended to stand up in direct comparison with one of the most important painters of the 20th century – as an independent position in the international context. "I wrote to [Curt] Glaser that I expect an international exhibition where Picasso and I are to hang side by side [...]", he noted confidently during his lifetime.
With this exhibition, this wish becomes reality for the first time. In a large-scale cooperation, the works of two formative artists of Modernism enter into an exciting dialogue. International loans from important collections illustrate how much their work was shaped by the striving for individual expressiveness and the dynamic of an era of upheaval.
An exhibition of the Kirchner Museum Davos and the LWL Museum of Art and Culture, Münster
LWL Museum of Art and Culture, Münster
September 26, 2025 – January 18, 2026
Kirchner Museum Davos
February 15 – May 3, 2026