Hans Purrmann as a Collector
From Dürer to Picasso
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Opening: Friday, October 23, 2026, 7:00 p.m.
Millennia-old Egyptian figurines, richly painted Greek vases, reliefs and small bronze sculptures from ancient Rome, medieval sculptures, colorful tiles from the Islamic world, precious Cranach prints from the Reformation era, as well as works by Delacroix, Daumier, Lorrain, Renoir, Matisse, Cézanne, and Picasso: All of this was collected over the course of his life by the Speyer-born painter Hans Purrmann (1880–1966).
Many people know Purrmann primarily for his luminous landscapes, still lifes, and portraits. What remains largely unknown to the general public, however, is that Purrmann was a passionate collector. That is why the mpk is now turning its attention to Purrmann’s uniquely rich art collection. The major special exhibition, which also celebrates Purrmann’s century-long connection to the mpk, will feature not only the artist’s paintings and prints but also many precious exhibits from his former art collection.
The exhibition thus offers insights into Purrmann’s work as a collector of valuable pieces from antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the modern era, and visitors can immerse themselves in the world of Purrmann’s collection through the exhibits. The objects come from private collections and have never before been exhibited publicly in this configuration.
The special exhibition, organized in cooperation with the Hans Purrmann Archive and the Hans Purrmann Foundation, will offer an atmospheric and immersive new encounter with the work and life of Hans Purrmann, one of the defining painters of Classical Modernism in Germany and one of the most successful artists from the Palatinate in the 20th century. A special highlight: vases and sculptures that Purrmann used as motifs for his still lifes will now be on display in Kaiserslautern alongside the paintings.
The museum is thus transformed, as it were, into a studio that offers insight into the creation of Purrmann’s vibrantly colored paintings.
Curated by Dr. Felix Billeter, Dr. Sören Fischer, and Eva Fritz, M.A.
Project Director: Dr. Sören Fischer
The special exhibition is sponsored by:
