Germany is blessed with a large number of fascinating art collections. One of the best lesser-known art museums can be found in Essen in the Western part of the country.
Museum Folkwang houses an extensive collection of 19th and 20th-century art.
It opened its doors in 1922 after a merger of the Essener Kunstmuseum and Folkwang, which was a private collection at the time.
The name of the museum comes from an unexpected source as the term “Folkwang” was derived from the Norwegic mythological term Fólkvangr, which refers to the meadow of the dead in the afterlife.
The museum has grown extensively during the 20th century and the old building became outdated. A new building was constructed on top of it to hold the large collection of paintings.
In this article, you’ll discover some of the most beautiful paintings at the Folkwang Museum, and learn exactly why this is a great place to visit if you love art as much as I do!
1. Mountain Landscape with Rainbow – Caspar David Friedrich
- Date created: 1809-1810
- Dimensions: 69 x 102 centimeters (27.1 x 40.1 inches)
Mountain Landscape with Rainbow is the title of a distinctive painting by Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840), a Romantic painter of the first half of the 19th century.
Many of his paintings feature landscapes with figures who stare in the distance with their backs facing the viewer, and this painting depicts exactly that.
2. The Garden of Saint-Paul Hospital – Vincent van Gogh
- Date created: November 1889
- Dimensions: 73.1 x 92.6 centimeters (28.7 x 36.4 in)
The Garden of Saint-Paul Hospital is the title of a beautiful painting by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), the Dutch artist who developed a remarkably colorful style.
The long brushstrokes and vibrant colors are typical characteristics of van Gogh’s style as he painted the garden of the mental hospital he stayed in after a mental breakdown.
3. Barbarian Tales – Paul Gauguin
- Date created: 1902
- Dimensions: 131.5 x 90.5 centimeters (51.7 x 35.6 inches)
Barbarian Tales is the title of a painting by Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), the French painter who spent the final years of his life in Tahiti.
It depicts a self-portrait and two semi-nude local girls. The stare in his eyes, in reference to the painting’s title, tells you all about his intentions.
4. Woman before the Rising Sun – Caspar David Friedrich
- Date created: 1818
- Dimensions: 22 x 30 centimeters (8.6 x 11.8 inches)
Woman before the Rising Sun is another painting by German artist Caspar David Friedrich, and although it’s a very small work of art, it perfectly summarizes the artist’s style.
Like his most famous work, “Wanderer Above the Sea Fog,” it depicts a figure who stares into the vastness of nature, in this case, a finely dressed woman.
5. Portrait of Faure as Hamlet – Édouard Manet
- Date created: 1877
- Dimensions: 196 x 131 centimeters (77.1 x 51.5 inches)
Portrait of Faure as Hamlet is the title of a life-size painting by Édouard Manet (1832-1883), the French painter who formed a bridge between Realism and Impressionism.
It depicts a 19th-century opera singer and composer named Jean-Baptiste Faure (1830-1914). He was also a renowned art collector who bought and commissioned many Impressionist paintings.
6. Susanna in the Bath – Lovis Corinth
- Date created: 1890
- Dimensions: 159 x 111 centimeters (62.5 x 43.7 inches)
Susanna in the Bath is the title of a painting by Lovis Corinth (1858-1925), another German painter who produced artworks in a combination of Impressionist and Expressionist styles.
It’s one of the countless paintings that depicts the Biblical story of Susanna who is being spied upon by two men who later end up accusing her of adultery.
7. The Bibémus Quarry – Paul Cézanne
- Date created: 1895
- Dimensions: 65 x 81 centimeters (25.5 x 31.8 inches)
The Bibémus Quarry is the title of a painting by Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) and one of several versions of the same work that the French Post-Impressionist artist completed.
It highlights the technique he developed which later inspired the Cubist artists. Yes, Cézanne was definitely ahead of his time in the final decade of the 19th century.
8. Woman with Parasol in front of Milliner’s Shop – August Macke
- Date created: 1914
- Dimensions: 60.5 x 50.5 centimeters (23.8 x 19.8 inches)
Woman with Parasol in front of Milliner’s Shop is the title of a painting by August Macke (1887-1914), a German Expressionist painter whose career was cut short during World War I.
He completed this painting in the year that he passed away at the young age of 27 while fighting at the front line of the war in the Champagne Region of France.
9. The Red Tower in Halle – Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
- Date created: 1915
- Dimensions: 120 × 91 centimeters (47 × 36 inches)
The Red Tower in Halle is a painting by Macke’s colleague Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938), another prominent member of the German Expressionist group.
It depicts the red brick tower on the market square of the German city. The gloomy scene and the smoke in the background are a reference to World War I.
10. Campbell’s Soup I – Andy Warhol
- Date created: 1968
- Dimensions: 58.7 x 89.3 centimeters (23.11 x 35.15 inches) for each can
Campbell’s Soup I is the title of one of the most famous paintings by Andy Warhol (1928-1987), one of the most notable Pop Art Artists in history.
The American artist completed several versions of the same work and the Folkwang Museum in Essen is lucky enough to feature one in its collection.
