tech
Death, power and paranoia: painting that shocked German society finally returns to Berlin
Mors Imperator caused a scandal in 1887 amid fears it mocked the German kaiser – more than 100 years later it is being displayed in a state museum
TL;DR
- Hermione von Preuschen's 1887 painting "Mors Imperator" is returning to Berlin for exhibition at the Alte Nationalgalerie.
- The painting was rejected by the Berlin Academy of the Arts due to fears it mocked Emperor Wilhelm I.
- Art historians and the artist's intent suggest the work symbolized the transience of power and themes of life and death, not political commentary.
- The artist, von Preuschen, was an advocate for women's education in the arts and came from nobility.
- The painting caused a stir when von Preuschen exhibited it privately, leading to her overnight fame.
- "Mors Imperator" was sold in 1892, and a copy was featured in a 2013 retrospective of her work.