Old Age! A Series of Prints Spanning Five Centuries
Haus der Graphischen Sammlung
26 April – 17 August 2025
Wise, obstinate, frail – a host of very different notions about old people obtains. What is at the bottom of such a wide range of contrasting associations? Who or what is considered old and why? Since antiquity, positive and negative representations of the so-called twilight years have been the subject of debate in both art and philosophy. What emerges is the fact that age(ing) is wholly relative. Cultural background, gender and social status all play a significant role. In Europe, old or elderly men tend to be depicted as benevolent and experienced, whereas in the case of women, the focus is usually upon their aging or aged bodies.
Ranging from the early modern period to the twentieth century, the exhibition presents a series of prints featuring works by Albrecht Dürer, Hans Baldung Grien, Käthe Kollwitz and Pablo Picasso. Interactive, hands-on areas provide visitors with an opportunity to explore their individual aging processes and place social stereotypes under the microscope.
