“Fritz Ascher, Expressionist”
Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA (USA)

“Fritz Ascher: Expressionist” presents works by this German Jewish artist, who lived through the Weimar Republic, the Nazi regime, and into the postwar years. With the support of prominent Berlin painter Max Liebermann, Fritz Ascher (1893–1970) studied in Berlin before traveling to Oslo, where he met Edvard Munch. During a prolonged stay in Munich, he associated with the artists who contributed to Simplicissimus magazine, and back in Berlin, he fell in with the artists of Die Brücke. His early work is steeped in old myths, spirituality, and reflections on the human condition. From 1933 he was forbidden to produce, exhibit, or sell his art. Interned at the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp in 1938, he survived the Nazi era mostly in hiding, writing poetry. After 1945 he returned to painting, expressing his inner turmoil in colorful, mystical landscapes devoid of human figures. The exhibition comprises 70 paintings and works on paper, ranging from Ascher’s early academic studies to his final landscapes. “Fritz Ascher: Expressionist” is accompanied by an illustrated catalogue.

“Fritz Ascher: Expressionist” is organized by the Fritz Ascher Society for Persecuted, Ostracized and Banned Art, Inc. and curated by director Rachel Stern. The exhibition is co-sponsored by Allianz Partners.

The exhibition is open during the semester Sunday – Friday 1:00pm – 5:00pm.
For special opening hours please visit the museum website (link).