Reflections on Frankfurt’s art scene

Städel Museum

Founded in 1815, the Städel’s vast collections cover seven centuries of Western art, satisfying the most insatiable of culture vultures. Quality and quantity go hand in hand with displays that showcase Old Masters such as Botticelli and Rembrandt, Impressionist icons like Monet and Degas, and les enfants terribles of modern art, Picasso and Francis Bacon.

DON’T MISS: the museum’s podcast ‘Finding Van Gogh’, a hunt for the legendary Portrait of Dr Gachet, which has been missing for decades. A suspenseful mystery tour to keep you entertained until the museum reopens.

staedelmuseum.de/en

Liebieghaus (Museum of Ancient Sculpture)

This museum takes an even longer view of mankind’s artistic endeavours. Its collection of sculpture spans five millennia, from Ancient Egypt to nineteenth-century Neoclassicism, via discus-wielding Greek athletes through exquisitely carved Medieval altarpieces. Among its treasures is the Neoclassical marble masterpiece Ariadne on the Panther, an iconic work of art which has been part of Frankfurt’s cultural identity since 1816. The Villa Lieblieg – a sumptuous late nineteenth-century mansion adorned with towers, turrets and lovely gardens – is a work of art in its own right.

DON’T MISS: the insightful audio tour – now available on the museum’s app. The 60-minute guide contains audio tracks on some 30 works of art, each enhanced with illustrations so it feels like you’re actually there.

liebieghaus.de/en

Museum fur Moderne Kunst

This museum of contemporary art – dubbed ‘the slice of cake’ on account of its unusual triangular shape – brings Frankfurt’s art story bang up to date. Experience the ‘shock of the new’ through a permanent collection of canonical works by twentieth-century icons such as Carl André, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol, or pop in to enjoy one of its top-notch temporary exhibitions, including the Frank Walter retrospective (until 27 September 2020), a major showcase of work by this seminal Caribbean artist.

mmk.art

Schirn Kunsthalle

The Schirn has been a must-see on Frankfurt’s cultural map since 1987 – a youthful upstart that hosts exhibitions of modern art movements and retrospectives of individual artists. Young it may be but the Shirn hasn’t forgotten its roots – its location near the historic Lange Schirn, or butcher’s quarter, is remembered in its name. Designed by BJSS Architects, the Kunsthalle’s distinctive façade is a favoured photographic backdrop for enthusiastic newlyweds.

schirn.de