Maria Lassnig and Edvard Munch

Flow of Paint = Flow of Life

The Hamburger Kunsthalle is thrilled to bring together the works of Maria Lassnig (1919–2014) and Edvard Munch (1863–1944) for the very first time in a major joint exhibition. At first glance, these two artists might seem worlds apart—separated by more than half a century. Yet, despite their different eras, the Austrian artist and the Norwegian painter share surprising similarities in both their lives and their art.

The connection to both is that tha : we were the first German museum to acquire Lassnig’s work, and we are home to an extensive collection of Munch’s paintings and drawings.

For both Lassnig and Munch, painting was far more than just a technique; it was a way to explore their own identities and the world around them. Their art captures deep emotions and inner states that resonate just as strongly today as when they were first painted. The exhibition’s subtitle, »Malfluss = Lebensfluss« (Painting Flow = Life Flow), is borrowed from one of Lassnig’s own works.