The Georg Kolbe Museum in Berlin presents the exhibition «Die 1. Generation – Bildhauerinnen der Berliner Moderne» («The First Generation – Women Sculptors of Berlin Modernism») until 17th of June 2018. The exhibition shows about 100 sculptures by 10 female artists who had the peak of their artistic careers in the time of the Weimarer Republik. They were the first famous female artists of their times – and are unfortunately somehow forgotten today. ⠀
At the beginning of the 20th century for a woman becoming a sculptor – and not a painter or photographer which wasn’t easy either – didn’t only depend on the artistic talent, but also on the possibility to face the challenges and obstacles of the society of her time: The traditional gender roles and the fact that women weren’t allowed to attend the official art schools run by the German state before 1919. So if they wanted to achieve artistic training they were forced into private schools which meant also paying fees – another hurdle their male collegues didn’t face.
