ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Anselm Kiefer's Monumental Works from a Single German Collection at Antwerp's Royal Museum

exhibition · 2026-04-23

Renovations are currently taking place at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, which has joined forces with two other local institutions to present an exhibition featuring Anselm Kiefer's impressive paintings from Hans Grothe's private collection. Grothe, a construction magnate, has been an avid collector of Kiefer's work since the 1980s, amassing around thirty pieces. This exhibition, scheduled from October 23, 2010, to January 23, 2011, showcases artworks spanning from the 1980s to 2009, including 'Grosse Fracht' (1981-1996) and the initial two panels of 'The Secret Life of Plants for Robert Fludd.' Highlights include 'Jakobs Himmlisches Blut' (2002) and 'Der fruchtbare Halbmond' (2009). Kiefer was appointed to the Chair of Artistic Creation at the Collège de France for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Key facts

  • Exhibition at Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp from October 23, 2010 to January 23, 2011.
  • All works come from the private collection of Hans Grothe, a German construction entrepreneur.
  • Grothe has collected Kiefer since 1985 and now owns about thirty monumental canvases.
  • Works span from the 1980s to 2009, covering themes of German history, WWII, Holocaust, mythology, religion, philosophy, and literature.
  • Exhibition opens with 'Grosse Fracht' (1981-1996), Grothe's first Kiefer acquisition.
  • Includes first two panels of the fourteen-part polyptych 'The Secret Life of Plants for Robert Fludd.'
  • Der fruchtbare Halbmond (2009) is shown for the first time, depicting a Tower of Babel of books.
  • Kiefer appointed to Chair of Artistic Creation at Collège de France for 2010-2011.
  • Book of Kiefer's lectures to be published by Éditions du Regard in May 2011.

Entities

Artists

  • Anselm Kiefer
  • Peter Paul Rubens
  • Anthony van Dyck
  • Jacob Jordaens
  • Robert Fludd

Institutions

  • Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp
  • Collège de France
  • Éditions du Regard

Locations

  • Antwerp
  • Belgium
  • Paris
  • France

Sources