Sea unicorn as a Drinking Vessel Main Sponsor leipzig, c. 1600, elias geyer Silver, gilded, rests of cold paint, celetaia persculpta height: 20 cm, grünes gewölbe eport 2010 r 2010 n n ual a · en sd ammlungen Dre S t S Staatliche Kun Grassi-Museum Leipzig Jägerhof Lipsiusbau on the Brühlsche Terrasse Page 5 Page 24 FRoM tH e COLLECtIONS Foreword The enchanting fragility of the blue swords Page 49 Page 27 Selected purchases and donations StATE oF tH e ARt Beautiful and audacious – Page 54 SI nCe 1560 – The early Vermeer Selected publications tH e An n IVeRSARY YeAR Page 30 Page 57 Germany’s only folk art museum Selected restoration projects Page 10 gets a facelift Chambers of Curiosities Page 12 SCI ENTI FIC An D Looking back and looking ahead – SPECIAl eXHIBItIONS ReSeARCH pRoJ eCtS 450 years of the Staatliche Kunst­ sammlungen Dresden Page 33 Exhibitions in Dresden Page 63 Page 16 Scientific projects and cooperation The fascination of the Orient – Page 43 The Türckische Cammer Exhibitions in other German cities Page 67 in the Residenzschloss Provenance, research and restitutions Page 47 Page 20 Exhibitions abroad Page 70 A phoenix from the waters – The White gold comes from Saxony opening of the new Albertinum residenzschloss Japanisches Palais albertinum WItH KI n D Su ppoRt Page 88 pRoSPECtS Venturing into digital worlds: The new website of the Staatliche Page 73 Page 107 Kunstsammlungen Dresden Hire a museum at the click Special exhibitions in 2011 of a mouse Page 90 Page 114 Visitor numbers Page 74 Guest exhibitions in … Our best year ever Societies of friends Page 78 APPEN DIX Sponsors and donors eCONOMIC DAtA Page 92 Page 116 VISITORS The team n eWS I n BRI eF Page 118 Page 83 Adresses of the museums Page 95 5.4 million visit the exhibition in Shanghai combining science and art Page 120 Publication details Page 84 State of the Art since 1560 – MuSEUM Bu I lDI nGS Marketing in the anniversary year Page 103 Page 86 From an opening to the laying Taking stock in 2010 – of a foundation stone – the work Museum Education goes on! 4 FoReWoRD 2010 was a special year. That may seem like an obvious tions: the art collections themselves. From a historical statement in view of a 450th anniversary. Yet the excep­ perspective, what we are celebrating is not the foundation tional nature of this year was evident not just in this im­ of a museum that has existed unchanged for 450 years, pressive number, but above all in the realisation of how but rather 450 years of known collecting activity and mu­ great a privilege it is to be working at the Staatliche Kunst­ seum history in Dresden. During 2010, it became impres­ sammlungen Dresden in these times. The multitude of sively evident just how worthwhile it is to work with these extraordinary events that took place during the year strik­ collections, which hold no fewer than 1.5 million objects, ingly demonstrated this fact. It is wonderful for all those and to invest in the future of these holdings. This strategic involved to be able to be part of a process such as the in­ decision, without which the splendour of the anniversary 5 stallation of the Türckische Cammer and then to hand year would not have been possible, has always enjoyed the over this unique group of treasures from among the support and guidance of the government of the Free State Dresden collections to the public in an illustrious opening of Saxony. The year 2010, with its record visitor numbers of event – as was the case on 6th March, 2010. Similarly, it is 2.6 million, has shown that this investment has paid off an unforgettable moment when, following the disastrous and that making the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dres­ flood of 2002 and long years of reconstruction and reno­ den well known as a symbol of Saxon culture beyond the vation, a building like the Albertinum is finally opened and borders of Saxony and even of Germany will continue to the new structure serves not only as a home for the sculp­ be worthwhile in the future, too. tures and the Modern Masters, but also presents these This success is due to many factors: the Saxon govern­ collections in a manner that utilises the very latest in ex­ ment, the tireless endeavours of the employees of the hibition architecture and design. Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, our sponsors from the That these events fell in a year in which the Staatliche business world, our many friends in Dresden and around Kunstsammlungen were celebrating their 450­year his­ the world, who have given both moral and material sup­ tory is partly thanks to planning, but to a large extent it is port for our work, and last but not least the visitors who due to coincidence and good fortune. The overall motto come to us from every corner of the globe and then tell for the year was “Zukunft seit 1560” (State of the Art since others about their experiences. I should like to thank 1560) and there could hardly have been a better way of them all most sincerely for their support, their solidarity expressing the interplay between reviewing the past and and their loyalty. This report is an opportunity for you to looking forward to the future, which was so characteristic recapitulate on the most important moments and themes of this anniversary year. In all the major exhibitions and of this eventful year or to find out about them. The anni­ openings this year, emphasis was placed not only on dis­ versary year 2010 has provided us with a great many in­ playing the treasures of the past but also, and above all, delible memories and important decisions which will on presenting them in the context of the present day and have a long­term influence on the years to come. Above emphasising their significance for future generations of all, however, there remains the motto which reflects both visitors. a sense of responsibility and the hope that “State of the However, the anniversary celebrations in 2010 not only Art since 1560” will remain equally apposite in the future. demonstrated where modern museums stand within the field of tension between past and future. They also showed Prof. Dr. Martin Roth what can happen if attention is directed towards the most Director­General of the fundamental justification for the existence of our institu­ Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden 1 2 State of the Art since 1560 – the Anniversary Year 3 4 11 12 16 17 18 19 1 2 5 6 State of the Art since 1560 – The Anniversary 7 Year 3 4 8 9 10 1 Visitors viewing the ‘transparent storeroom’ in the 21 The porcelain exhibition in the Japanisches Palais: Albertinum “Triumph of the Blue Swords” 2 Ullrich Rückriem during the installation of his sculpture 22 Gerhard Richter during the installation of his works “Untitled (Egyptian)” in the new Albertinum 23 View of the special exhibition “The Young Vermeer” 3 Two viburnum flower vases (in the foreground) in the 24 An “ambassador” for the Türckische Cammer: special exhibition “Triumph of the Blue Swords” Adnan Maral 13 4 Auguste Rodin’s “The Thinker” 25 In the foreground Rodin’s “The Thinker” in the 11 12 5 Visitors in the Sculpture Hall of the reopened Albertinum Sculpture Hall of the Albertinum 6 Visitors in the Anniversary Exhibition 26 Visitors to the Anniversary Exhibition 7 A visitor viewing the special exhibition “The Promised 27 Visitors to the Kunsthalle im Lipsiusbau Land” in the Albertinum 28 View of the Türckische Cammer with life-size carved 14 15 8 Lidded vase, Meissen, c. 1728 – 1730, in the special exhibition horses in the foreground “Triumph of the Blue Swords” 29 The architect Peter Marino in the newly designed 9 Ottoman splendour behind antiglare glass in the Long Gallery of the Porzellansammlung Türckische Cammer 30 The Baselitz Room in the new Albertinum 10 An unusual view of the special exhibition “Transit” 31 Eye-catcher in the Türckische Cammer: the magnificent by Jeff Wall three-masted tent 11 View of the Sculpture Hall in the Albertinum 32 View of the Sculpture Hall in the Albertinum with 12 The atrium: the centre of the reopened Albertinum Carl Andre’s 1992 work “Cedar Solid – Cedar Scatter” 13 Georg Baselitz installs his exhibition himself in the foreground 14 Albrecht Dürer’s “The Virgin as Mater Dolorosa” 33 The Gerhard Richter Rooms at the end of the tour (Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen Munich) and the through the Albertinum 16 17 seven panels depicting “The Seven Sorrows of the Virgin” 34 Hans Grundig’s “The Thousand Year Reich” in the 18 19 15 Jeff Wall’s “Housekeeping” in the special exhibition Anniversary Exhibition “Transit” 35 The entrance to the special exhibition “The Young Vermeer” 16 In the Lipsiusbau: Jeff Wall’s large-scale photo- 36 Torso of the “Large Standing Woman”, 1910 transparencies in light boxes 20 21 22 37 The Sculpture Hall in the Albertinum with Tony Cragg’s 17 Fragile and precious: biscuit porcelain from the Meissen 1980 work “Stack” in the foreground 23 Porcelain Manufactory 38 Guests of honour in the Anniversary Exhibition 18 Visitors admire the Ottoman bridles and ceremonial “State of the Art since 1560” weapons in the Türckische Cammer 39 View of the new storeroom in the Albertinum 19 View of the Anniversary Exhibition: from the section entitled “Curiosity”, works purchased by the Lindenau Foundation 20 There is a great deal of interest: visitors in the Sculpture Hall Showcase with objects from the Dresden Kunstkammer in the Neues Grünes Gewölbe View of the first room of the Anniversary Exhibition “State of the Art Jeff Wall’s “The Thinker” since 1560” with the wire-drawing bench by Leonhard Danner, 1565, stands both for the history in the foreground of the collection and for a view of the future Dr.