The paintings of the Odesa Museum of Western and Oriental Art are presented as part of an exhibition at the Berlin Art Gallery. Find out what masterpieces are on display there and what you need to know about the event itself

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The exhibition ‘From Odesa to Berlin. European painting of the XVI-XIX centuries’. The central theme of the exhibition is 60 unique works of art from the collection of the Odesa Museum of Western and Oriental Art, which were taken out of the city to preserve them during the war. They are complemented by 25 paintings from the Berlin collections, creating a great artistic, cultural and historical dialogue.

The purpose of the exhibition

According to the Odesa Regional State Administration, the main goal of the event was to promote the cultural heritage of the Odesa region and draw attention to the threats to world cultural masterpieces in the context of hostilities.

The night before, on 23 January, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived at the opening night. In his welcoming speech, he noted that ‘russia's bloody aggressive war is also a war against the culture of Ukraine’. The Head of State emphasised that the attack on the Transfiguration Cathedral, the largest Orthodox church in Odesa, located near the Museum of Western and Eastern Art, was one of the proofs that the evacuation of paintings from Odesa was necessary.

The director of the Odesa museum, Igor Poronik, admitted that he had conflicting feelings. ‘Yes, I am happy. Yes, I am sad,’ he was quoted as saying by DW. ’The exchange of paintings between museums is a normal practice in peacetime. If this exhibition had been held under different circumstances, I would have been overjoyed.’

After the start of the full-scale invasion and shelling of the historic city centre, the masterpieces were first moved to western Ukraine, and in September 2023, 74 paintings were delivered to Berlin, where restorers put some of the works in order and made new frames for some.

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What visitors will see

The exhibition is designed to reflect the historical and cultural context of Odesa. At the entrance, visitors are greeted by two portraits - of the city's founder, Admiral Deribas, and Governor-General Count Vorontsov. They are accompanied by explanatory inscriptions that indicate the ambiguous perception of these figures in modern Ukraine as representatives of the expansionist policy of the Russian Empire.

Nearby, there is a map of modern Odesa with the marked monuments, including the Museum of Western and Oriental Art itself. This cultural institution turned 100 in 2022. It is located not far from the Black Sea embankment, near the Archaeological Museum and the Philharmonic, and just a few blocks separate it from the legendary Privoz market.

The main part of the exhibition takes place in the darkened halls, where picturesque paintings by Italian and Dutch masters of the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as works by artists of the 18th and 19th centuries, play against a contrasting background. The most striking exhibits include biblical and mythological scenes, portraits, still lifes and genre sketches. Particular attention is drawn to Italian painting of the XVII-XVIII centuries, where you can see works full of dynamics and drama, as well as masterpieces of the Dutch school of the XVII century with its characteristic subtlety of painting and detail.

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The ‘stars’ of the collection

Among the most famous paintings presented at the exhibition:

▪️ ‘Sunny Day’ by Emil Klaus - impresses with the play of light and shadow in the best traditions of impressionism.

▪️ ‘Quarrel of the Curls’ (anonymous author) - a dramatic scene of a brutal murder against the backdrop of a serene landscape, illustrating the contrast between human cruelty and the beauty of nature.

▪️ ‘Sailboats’ by Charles Cotte - landscapes of Brittany, created by the founder of the impressionist group La Bande noire, where one can feel the special expressiveness of light.

▪️ ‘Shaving Monks’ and ‘Rest of the Comedians’ by Alessandro Magnasco are scenes typical for the Italian artist, executed in an expressive manner, with dynamic images and unusual interpretation of everyday scenes.

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Photo: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin/David von Becker

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