Due to great interest, the Hessian State Museum in Darmstadt is showing the printmaking artist's work until October 18th
The Hessian State Museum in Darmstadt has extended the exhibition "Hedwig Kruse: A Printmaker Lives Her Dream" until October 18, 2026.The show was originally scheduled to end three weeks earlier. According to the museum, the extension is due to the consistently high visitor numbers.
The exhibition at the Karl Freund Gallery is dedicated to the work of the long-neglected printmaker Hedwig Kruse (1895–1991). The State Museum owns the artist's entire graphic estate through a donation from her son, Stephan Heise.
Color woodcuts and collages
Kruse was born in Frankfurt am Main in 1895 and studied at the Munich School of Applied Arts. In 1917, she began her career as a printmaker with her own work. In 1935, a ban on exhibiting her work by the National Socialists brought her promising public artistic career to an end. After 1945, she continued to work. Kruse died in Darmstadt in 1991.
In her work, she combined diverse cultural and religious imagery. Motifs from ancient mythology, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam appear alongside figures from mysticism and fairy tales, as well as autobiographical scenes. Recurring themes include love, loss, longing, and the role of women as artists.
The graphic estate in the Hessian State Museum comprises collages on glossy paper and, above all, color woodcuts. Characteristic of these are finely carved woodblocks, with which Kruse created detailed lines and multicolored depictions.
Short film sets illustrations in motion
The exhibition also includes a short film of approximately ten minutes, created in collaboration with photographer Stefan Pohl and actress Laura Eichten from the Darmstadt State Theatre. In it, Kruse's series of illustrations for Richard Dehmel's fairy tale "Das Zettelevoiche" is animated using artificial intelligence.
“Hedwig Kruse. A printmaker lives her dream” can now be seen until Sunday, October 18, 2026 , in the Karl Freund Gallery of the Hessian State Museum Darmstadt
(DARMSTADT – RED/HLMD)
Featured image: View of the exhibition »Hedwig Kruse«. Photo L. Breidert, HLMD Hessian State Museum Darmstadt
