The exhibition and catalog feature works by Otto Niemeyer-Holstein that demonstrate the profound influence that the artist’s longing for Italy had on him.
Otto Niemeyer-Holstein (1896–1984) made repeated study trips to Italy to explore Roman antiquity, Renaissance culture, and the light and landscape of Italy, as many German artists and art lovers had done before him.
Otto Niemeyer-Holstein’s first trip to Italy, which is also reflected in his drawings and watercolors, took the painter to Sicily in 1920. Another trip, which took place in 1930, must have left a lasting impression on him. At the Villa Romana in Florence, he created a painting that became a symbol of these formative years of study and travel: his own “worn-out shoes.” The painting must have meant a great deal to him, for he never sold it.
The exhibition and catalog feature works by Otto Niemeyer-Holstein created between 1920 and 1958 in Tuscany, Abruzzo, Apulia, and Sicily, demonstrating just how deeply the artist was captivated and shaped by his longing for Italy.