Spannungsfeld Museum

Based on case studies, this volume investigates the exchange of art objects and ideas between France and Germany around 1900. Despite strained relations between these two countries, art dealers, gallerists, art critics and museum world representatives were players in a lively international art business.

The authors examine institutional structures, practices and the personalities of the Franco-German art world at the turn of the century, paying particular attention to the role of museums and their directors. The essays provide insights into the possibilities, functions and conditions that existed for the protagonists at that time, which have shaped the profiles of today’s collections and have mapped out our understanding of museums and cultural exchange.