Kirill Serebrennikov

Kirill Serebrennikov Instagram – The Hamburg Kunsthalle @hamburger.kunsthalle has a wonderful exhibition “THE UNIVERSE OF WILLIAM BLAKE” The rare works of William Blake (1757–1827), which he created around 1800 against the backdrop of crisis, revolution and war in Europe, look frighteningly modern. In general, all of Blake’s prophecies sound disappointing.
It turns out that Blake, who never left Britain, was a follower of the German philosopher Jacob Boehme (1575-1674). A lifetime edition of his famous “Aurora” is displayed in a separate room. By an amazing coincidence, this is the first philosophical treatise that I read in my youth. At the exhibition, Blake’s works are side by side with the works of his contemporaries: the “romantic” surrealist Philip Otto Runge (1777–1810), Samuel Palmer (1805–1881) and the great Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840), star of the Kunsthalle. Their self-portraits (proto-selfies) speak of a monstrous level of anxiety and despair. Well, of course – war, revolution, general crisis. There is something to worry about… | Posted on 29/Jun/2024 14:55:18