Rachel Ruysch was born 360 years ago on June 3, 2024
The Alte Pinakothek in Munich will start the world's first retrospective of the artist with the special exhibition "Rachel Ruysch - Nature into Art" from November 26, 2024!
Special exhibition “Rachel Ruysch – Nature into Art” ALTE PINAKOTHEK November 26, 2024 — March 16, 2025 (GERMAN)
Munich. Large special exhibitions cannot be announced soon enough. Even at the age of 80, the Amsterdam painter Rachel Ruysch created everlasting flower still lifes that have never lost the scent of their protagonists. A Dutch artist who became known and even famous in her time. When we say "her time" that's a really, really long time ago, because she would have celebrated her 360th birthday on June 3, 2024. It is unbelievable that the painter Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750) became known for her impressive work. This painting woman was the reason for a long-term joint and cross-disciplinary research project for the Bavarian State Painting Collections - Alte Pinakothek, Munich, together with the Toledo Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which will soon be presented as part of a special exhibition. A scientific monograph will be published to accompany the exhibition. What does it contain? A total of 200 exhibits, including around 80 paintings from national and international lenders as well as over a hundred loans from state museums and institutions in Bavaria. The traveling exhibition entitled "Rachel Ruysch. Nature into art" will start in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich and will visualize all research results. ALTE PINAKOTHEK November 26, 2024 — March 16, 2025.
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| Museums in the art area in Munich, photo collage - bottom right: Alte Pinakothek, photo archive: Helga Waess |
Who was Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750)? An exceptional phenomenon of her time
Rachel Ruysch was the daughter of the renowned professor of anatomy and botany, Frederik Ruysch. She was the first female "member of the Confrerie Pictura, court painter in Düsseldorf, lottery winner and mother of eleven children".
The artist Rachel Ruysch worked in Amsterdam her whole life.
At around the age of 15, she studied with the leading still life painter Willem van Aelst and was inspired by the works of her fellow male artists. She quickly became known and in 1701 became the first female member of the renowned artist community Confrerie Pictura in The Hague.
She devoted the first decade of the 18th century to large, sophisticated floral bouquets, which quickly made her one of the leading floral still life painters.
In 1708, Rachel Ruysch was appointed court painter to Elector Johann Wilhelm of the Palatinate in Düsseldorf - she held this position until his death in 1716. Extremely magnificent bouquets of flowers were created, which were crowned with pieces of fruit and insects.
Rachel Ruyschs changed her style in the last 10 years of her almost 70 years of work: the color palette became lighter, lighter tones spoke of the current taste of French Rococo, which gave way to all baroque heaviness. Paintings come from this period and, in addition to the signature and the year the work was created, are also adorned with information about their age. Rachel Ruysch announced that she was still completing high-class works at the age of over 80!
The Alte Pinakothek in Munich will start the world's first retrospective of the artist with the special exhibition "Rachel Ruysch - Nature into Art" from November 26, 2024!
Life, artistic creation and rising fame as well as their unique artistic and intellectual environment are illuminated.
The great scientific questions of the 17th and 18th centuries, the famous collection of scientific specimens of her father, Frederik Ruysch, probably provided a unique source of inspiration for her artistic work. An inexhaustible treasure trove of foreign botanical species.
The large international special exhibition on Rachel Ruysch, starting in Munich, shows well-known and previously unknown works of art from European and US public and private collections. Also on display are “portraits of Rachel Ruysch, her family and her father, as well as books, prints, drawings and scientific exhibits.”
The Rachel Ruysch show sheds new light on the connections between art and science of the time
Through interdisciplinary collaboration with botanists, zoologists and science historians, the context of the scientific discoveries and debates of her time is measured against the Amsterdam painter's works of art.
Among other things, other still life painters and works that visualize the tradition of flower painting will be shown.
Other artists in the exhibition on the art of Rachel Ruysch
- Paintings by her teacher Willem van Aelst,
- her contemporary Jan Davidsz. de Heem,
- Otto Marseus van Schrieck
- and Abraham Mignon
- as well as other talented artists such as her sister Anna Ruysch,
- Maria van Oosterwijck
- and Alida Withoos
The exhibition "Rachel Ruysch. Nature into art" is under the patronage of Sophie Princess of Bavaria.
Further information about the exhibition "Rachel Ruysch. Nature into art"
- www.pinakothek.de/nature-into-art
The internationally curated exhibition travels from the Munich Pinakothek to the museums
- Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio - April 13, 2025 – July 27, 2025
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston - from August 23, 2025 – December 7, 2025
The Alte Pinakothek names the following as cooperation partners for the exhibition “Rachel Ruysch. Nature into art”:
- Munich University of Television and Film, Chair of AI and CreatiF Center
- Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Human-Centered Ubiquitous Media
- Munich University of Music and Theater, Chair of Composition
- University of Konstanz, course in literature, art and media studies
