The Hamburger Kunsthalle in Hamburg, Germany, presents a major double exhibition pairing Austrian artist Maria Lassnig (1919–2014) with Norwegian painter Edvard Munch (1863–1944) for the first time. Featuring nearly 200 works—including paintings, works on paper, sculptures, films, and photographs—the show highlights parallels between the two artists across a half-century gap, tracing Munch’s influence on Lassnig and revealing new aspects of both oeuvres. Key works include Munch’s *Madonna* (1893–1895) and Lassnig’s *Traditionskette* (1983), with the exhibition organized into 13 chapters plus a prologue and epilogue exploring themes such as self-portraits, gender, nature, and mortality.
This exhibition matters because it draws unprecedented connections between two iconic but rarely compared artists, offering fresh insights into their shared expressive use of color, brushwork, and emotional intensity. By collaborating with the Kunsthaus Zürich, the Maria Lassnig Foundation, and the Munchmuseet in Oslo, the show brings together loans from major international collections, deepening scholarly understanding of both figures. It also underscores the Hamburger Kunsthalle’s role as a leading institution capable of staging ambitious cross-historical dialogues that resonate with contemporary audiences.