Busch-Reisinger Museum

Busch-Reisinger Museum. Founded in 1901, it is the only museum in North America dedicated exclusively to the study and collection of art from the German-speaking countries of Central Europe and related cultures in Northern Europe. As an integral part of the Harvard Art Museums, its holdings span from the medieval period to the contemporary era, with particular strengths in German Expressionism, Bauhaus design, and postwar art. The museum serves as a vital academic resource for Harvard University and the public, promoting scholarship through its collections, exhibitions, and publications.

History

The museum was established in 1901 as the "Germanic Museum" through a gift from Adolphus Busch of the Anheuser-Busch brewing family, with significant support from his father-in-law, William H. Reisinger. Its original mission was to support the study of Germanic languages and literature at Harvard University by providing visual materials. Under its first curator, Kuno Francke, the initial collection consisted largely of plaster casts of major medieval and Renaissance sculpture. A pivotal shift occurred in 1921 when Charles L. Kuhn became curator, actively transforming the institution by acquiring original works of modern art, particularly from movements like Expressionism and the Bauhaus, even as the Nazi Party condemned such art in Germany. The museum was renamed in 1950 in honor of its founders. In 1991, it moved into a new building designed by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates, and in 2014, it was fully integrated into the renovated Harvard Art Museums facility under the directorship of Thomas W. Lentz.

Collections

The museum's collection is renowned for its depth in Central and Northern European art. Key areas include an exceptional array of German Expressionist works by artists such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Emil Nolde, and Wassily Kandinsky. It holds the most comprehensive Bauhaus collection outside Germany, featuring works by László Moholy-Nagy, Paul Klee, and Lyonel Feininger, as well as significant examples of Weimar Republic-era art. The collection of medieval sculpture, though initiated with plaster casts, now includes important original pieces like the fourteenth-century *Passion Altarpiece* from Cologne. Postwar and contemporary art is strongly represented through figures like Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter, Anselm Kiefer, and Sigmar Polke. The museum also possesses major holdings in Kunstkammer objects, Vienna Secession decorative arts, and a notable collection of Cold War-era art from East Germany.

Building and architecture

From 1921 to 1991, the museum was housed in Adolphus Busch Hall, a building designed by the German architect Bestelmeyer in a Neo-Romanesque style. This structure, with its iconic replica of the Rathaus of Michelstadt, was specifically created to evoke the atmosphere of a Rhenish museum. In 1991, the museum moved to a new building at 32 Quincy Street, designed by Charles Gwathmey of Gwathmey Siegel & Associates. This modernist structure provided expanded gallery and storage space. In November 2014, the museum's collections and operations were fully integrated into the renovated and unified Harvard Art Museums building at 32 Quincy Street, a transformative project led by architect Renzo Piano. This facility combines the spaces of the Fogg Museum and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum under one roof, featuring the iconic Glass Roof over the Calderwood Courtyard.

Notable exhibitions

The museum has a long history of presenting groundbreaking exhibitions that have shaped scholarly understanding of its field. In 1931, it mounted the first American exhibition dedicated to the Bauhaus, introducing the school's work to a U.S. audience. The 1957 exhibition "German Art of the Twentieth Century," organized in collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, was a landmark survey. More recent significant shows include "The Blue Rider" in 1988, focusing on the influential Munich-based artist group, and "Kunst und Kalter Krieg: Deutsche Positionen 1945–89" in 2009, which examined artistic production in both East Germany and West Germany. Exhibitions on contemporary artists like Gerhard Richter and Rebecca Horn have continued its tradition of connecting historical scholarship with modern practice.

Relationship to Harvard University

As a founding component of the Harvard Art Museums, the museum is deeply embedded in the university's teaching and research mission. It functions as a laboratory for FAS departments such as History of Art and Architecture and Germanic Languages and Literatures, with objects regularly used in undergraduate and graduate courses. The museum's curators, including notable figures like Peter Nisbet and Lynette Roth, often hold teaching appointments. Its archives, including the important papers of Lyonel Feininger and the Bauhaus-Archiv, support advanced research by Harvard University scholars and international visitors. Furthermore, the museum collaborates with other Harvard entities like the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts and the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies to present public programs and interdisciplinary initiatives.

Category:Harvard Art Museums Category:Museums in Cambridge, Massachusetts Category:Art museums in Massachusetts Category:German art Category:Museums established in 1901