women artists!


FROM Monjé TO Münter


25 September 2025 – 1 FebruarY 2026


There have been women artists for as long as there have been male artists. However, their
visibility is always dependent on many, often local, factors.
The exhibition showcases a selection of 30 female artists who were active in Düsseldorf in
an era when they were not permitted to study at the renowned art academy.

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Please note: The use of the image material is only permitted free of charge in connection with current journalistic reporting on the relevant exhibitions and events, provided the copyright is named. Cropping of the illustrations is not permitted.

Under these circumstances, pursuing a career as an artist required not only the financial means for private tuition but also a great deal of determination. Although some women artists were surprisingly well-known in their time – including Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann, Marie
Wiegmann and Paula Monjé – almost all of them have been forgotten today. They are
relatively underrepresented in public collections, such as the one here at the Kunstpalast,
and many of the works on display are being presented to the public for the first time since
the nineteenth century.
Providing a much-needed “second glance”, this show fundamentally expands our
understanding of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century art. The exhibition adds a
significant and long-overlooked chapter to the history of art and clearly demonstrates that
this art history is incomplete without the influence of women artists.

Curator: Kathrin Dubois, Head of the Picture Gallery Collection, Kunstpalast

Please note: The use of the image material is only permitted free of charge in connection with current journalistic reporting on the relevant exhibitions and events, provided the copyright is named. Cropping of the illustrations is not permitted.

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