EROS in expectation of eternity

COLLECTION DKM

26.03.2022 – 15.01.2023

The exhibition EROS in Expectation of Eternity presents a significant collection focus of the DKM Foundation: the male nude in photography and sculpture from the late 19th century to the present day. The title suggests sensual, heroic, and mythologically charged works intertwined with the beauty of antiquity and confronting transience.

While the nude female body, or female nude, has figured prominently in the canon of art, the depiction of the male nude has been accepted since antiquity only in association with attributes of the martyr or hero. Depictions of pure male beauty and sexuality were taboo for a long time.
One of the first proponents of male nude photography was the German photographer Wilhelm von Gloeden (DE, 1856 -1931), who set his male models in an Arcadian fantasy world. The reference to antiquity thus legitimized the display of the male body.

It would take until the late 20th century before the «pure» male nude was made freely available to the public. The 1960s were in many ways a liberation for men. They parted with outdated views, shame was cast aside, and the taboo of male nude photography had also fallen. The
photographers Herbert Tobias and Will McBride appeared in Germany around this time and represented their own direction in the photography of the male nude, in which the focus was on realism and in their determination of a de-tabooization heralded the emerging punk culture. In New York, Robert Mapplethorpe enters the scene and creates a new style of nude photography. The male body as an object of lust and desire is finally accepted in the wider society.

The depiction of the liberation of the male nude, the triumph and death of the hero are intended to foreground the beauty and sensuality of modern Eros, to immerse us in the depths of being as well as to confront us with the inevitability of the ephemeral. In this world of thought, the senses
oscillate between the fascinating attraction and derangement, sleep and awakening, beauty and death, life and loss.

The exhibition brings together works by the following artists:


Dieter Blum (DE, 1986)
Katharina Bosse (FI, 1968)
Jean-Marie Bottequin (BE, 1941)
David Buckland (GB, 1949)
Jakov Chalip (RU, 1908 – 1980)
Jim Dine (US, 1935)
Tom Fecht (DE, 1952)
Wilhelm von Gloeden (DE, 1856 – 1931)
Konrad Helbig (DE, 1917 – 1986)
Eikoh Hosoe (JP, 1933)
Albert Hinrich Hussmann (DE, 1874 – 1946)
Daniel Kane (US, 1954)
Charlotte March (DE, 1930 – 2005)
Cristina García Rodero (ES, 1949)
Herbert List (DE, 1903 – 1975)
Will McBride (US, 1931 – 2015)
Robert Mapplethorpe (US, 1946 – 1989)
Willy Maywald (DE, 1907 – 1985)
Duane Michals (US, 1932)
Mathieu Molitor (DE, 1873 – 1929)
Franz Müller-Münster (DE, 1867 – 1936)
Erwin Olaf (NL, 1959)
Hilmar Pabel (DE, 1910 – 2000)
Guglielmo Plüschow (DE, 1852 – 1930)
Jury Rupin (UA, 1946 – 2008)
Roy Schatt (US, 1909 –2002)
Pierre de Soete (BE, 1886 – 1948)
Claudia Terstappen (DE, 1959)
Ulrich Tillmann (DE, 1951 – 2019)
Herbert Tobias (DE, 1924 – 1982)
Minor White (US, 1908 – 1976)
Marcel Wolfers (BE, 1886 – 1976)
Josef Wopfner (CH, 1843 – 1927)
Carl Wuttke (DE, 1849 – 1927)

Works in the exhibition

EROS in expectation of eternity
(Ground floor old building, room II – room VI; works clockwise)

Room II

Will McBride
Seaside, 1968
silver gelatin print
25 x 38 cm

Claudia Terstappen
Juist, 1989
black and white photograph
32 x 47,8 cm

Claudia Terstappen
Juist, 1989
black and white photograph
32 x 47,8 cm

Horn (tusk) of a narwhal
Early 19th century, height: 256 cm

Herbert List
Heimkehr der Fischerboote, ca. 1956
silver gelatin print
29 x 22 cm

Willy Maywald
Man asleep. Portrait of Bobby, 1955
silver gelatin print
20 x 17 cm
Ed. 7

Katharina Bosse
Mermaid and Sailor (Portraits, 1999)
color negative print
41 x 30,5 cm
Ed. 3/7

Katharina Bosse
Mermaids, Midori Mermaid Man, 2001
color negative print
41 x 30,5 cm
Ed. 15

Katharina Bosse

o. T., 1999
color Negative Print
41 x 30,5 cm
Ed. 7

Katharina Bosse
Cologne, 1997
color Negative Print
27,5 x 38 cm
Ed. 7

Charlotte March
Mann mit Schlange, 1976 | 1992
silver gelatin print
37,7 x 25,5 cm

Will Mc Bride
Markus Mullyáns in Caolin, 1978/79
silver gelatin print
31,5 x 20 cm

Erwin Olaf
Männlicher Akt, 1990
28 x 22 cm

Tom Fecht
Jacob’s Ladder, 1999

Robert Mapplethorpe
o. T., 1981
silver gelatin print
38 x 37 cm

Roy Schatt
o. T., o. J.
Silver gelatin print
49,5 x 39 cm

Daniel Kane
Martin, 2007
black and white photograph
25 x 25 cm
Ed. 1/5

Daniel Kane
Andreas, o. J.
black and white photograph
25 x 25 cm
Ed. 1/5

Jean-Marie Bottequin
Phallus No. 23, 1981
black and white photograph
46,5 x 35,5 cm

Jean-Marie Bottequin
Phallus No. 30, 1981
black and white photograph
46,5 x 35,5 cm

Dieter Blum
Vladimir Malakhov und Christopher Hemmans, ALT BACH, 1994
black and white photograph
40 x 40 cm

Herbert Tobias
o. T., o. J.
black and white photograph
26,2 x 26,5 cm

Eikoh Hosoe
Two male nudes, 1973
black and white photograph
25,5 x 16,5 cm

Tom Fecht
I Basics, 1997/2018

Scholar’s stone
China, 19th century

Room III

Wilhelm von Gloeden
28 Ago 1898, Taormina (Sicilia), o. J.
albumen print
20 x 16 cm

Wilhelm von Gloeden
12 – 06. Taormina Sicilia, Piazza San Domenico, o. J.
albumen print
20 x 16 cm

Wilhelm von Gloeden
Zwei Knaben. Taorminia, Sicilia, 1910
albumen print
22 x 16 cm

Carl Wuttke
Die Kalifengräber bei Cairo (Studie), 1902
oil on canvas
12 x 20 cm

Josef Wopfner
Badende Jungen am Seeufersteg, 1899
oil on canvas
22 x 20 cm

Toni Stadler
Römische Campagna – Landschaft, 19. Jh.
oil on canvas
21 x 29 cm

Albert Hinrich Hussmann
Olympiasieger, um 1920
bronze

Wilhelm von Gloeden
Young boy in doorway, 1899
albumen print
15 x 11 cm

Guglielmo Plüschow
Young boy with curls, ca. 1900
albumen print
21 x 16 cm

Wilhelm von Gloeden
Young Male Nude, 1900
albumen print
15,5 x 11,5 cm

Wilhelm von Gloeden
Männliche Akte im Garten (ITALIEN), um 1900
albumen print
15,5 x 11,5 cm

Photo of a Roman tripod from Pompeii
Drei Satyrn tragen ein Kohlebecken (Ausschnitt)
Three satyrs carrying a charcoal basin (detail)

National Museum, Neapel
23 x 16 cm

Daniel Kane
Pergamon I, 1995
platinum Palladium Print
Ed. 2/3
12 x 9,5 cm

Daniel Kane
Alan, 1990
platinum Palladium Print
Ed. 2/5
12 x 9,5 cm

Daniel Kane
Thomas Pepper, 1991
platinum Palladium Print
Ed. 1/3
12 x 9,5 cm

Daniel Kane
Rob, 1991
platinum Palladium Print
Ed. 1/4
12 x 9,5 cm

Daniel Kane
Christoph, 1987
platinum Palladium Print
14,5 x 19 cm

Daniel Kane
Circus Performer, 2000
platinum Palladium Print
12 x 9,5 cm

Daniel Kane
Ed in the Kitchen, 1987
platinum Palladium Print
12 x 9,5 cm

Daniel Kane
Ralf Moored, 1991
platinum Palladium Print
12 x 9,5 cm

Artist unknown

Heiliger Sebastian, o.J.
oil on canvas
70 x 114 cm

Daniel Kane
Oliver Schiele, 1995
platinum Palladium Print
12 x 9,5 cm
Ed. 2/6

Daniel Kane
Tim, 1997
platinum Palladium Print
14,5 x 19 cm
Ed. 1/6

Daniel Kane
Ed Pelvis Bone, 1996
platin Palladium Print
9,5 x 12 cm
Ed. 3/5

Minor White
Nude Foot, 1947
silver gelatin print
14,5 x 19 cm

Daniel Kane
(Martin?), 1999
platin Palladium Print
18 x 14 cm

Daniel Kane
o. T., o. J.
selengetont, Silver gelatin print
13 x 20 cm

David Buckland
The Italian, 1984, Ed. 1/15
cibachrome
103 x 79,5 cm

Daniel Kane
Helmut, 1995
platin Palladium Print
14 x 18 cm
Ed. 6/15

Daniel Kane
Neal, 1976
platin Palladium Print
18 x 12 cm
Ed. 1/10

Daniel Kane
Jan, 1991,
platin Palladium Print
9 x 11 cm
Ed. 1/4

Daniel Kane
Matthias, 1997
platin Palladium Print
18 x 14 cm

Daniel Kane
Lee, 1988
platin Palladium Print
18 x 14 cm

Franz Müller-Münster (DE, 1867 – 1936)
Reiter an der Tränke, um 1900
oil on canvas
46 x 58 cm

Jean Cocteau,
Souvenir de Jean Cocteau, um 1940 – 1945
pencil on paper

Herbert List
Junger Mann, 1955
black and white photograph
23 x 28,5 cm

Room IV

Marcel Wolfers
Kreuzweg, Station 10, Jesus wird seiner Kleider beraubt, 1927–1929
bronze, coloured, wood
96 x 78,5 x 10 cm

Marcel Wolfers
Kreuzweg, Station 11, Jesus wird ans Kreuz genagelt, 1927–1929
bronze, coloured, wood
96 x 78,5 x 10 cm

Marcel Wolfers
Aurora (Morgenröte), 1912
salt-glazed ceramic
72 x 52 x 23 cm

Marcel Wolfers
Crepusculum (Abenddämmerung), 1912
salt-glazed ceramic
77,5 x 46,5 x 24 cm

Marcel Wolfers
Nox (Nacht), 1912
salt-glazed ceramic
67,5 x 46,5 x 24 cm

Hilmar Pabel, 1968
GI in Vietnam, HuE, 1968
black and white photograph
23 x 34 cm

Pierre de Soete
Held der Lüfte, ca. 1926
patinated bronze
bust 57 cm
sculpture fragment of the war monument La Conquete de l’Air, Brussels

Room V

Konrad Helwig
Junger Mann, 1960er
silver gelatin print
23,5 x 18,2 cm

Jakov Chalip
Drink, 1950
silver gelatin print
28 x 19 cm

Ulrich Tillmann
Maverick mit entblößtem Oberkörper, 1994/2000
59 x 42 cm

Herbert Tobias
Manfred, Berlin 1957
silver gelatin print
30 x 23 cm

Herbert List
Rudi, 1948
silver gelatin print
28 x 23 cm

Herbert List
Kreta, 1937
silver gelatin print
26,5 x 22 cm

Ulrich Tillmann
Liniope, 1991/1999
41 x 58 cm

Ulrich Tillmann
Maverick mit geschlossenen Augen, 1999/2000
silver gelatin print
40 x 59 cm

Jury Rupin
Sauna 05, 1972
black and white photograph27,5 x 38 cm

Will McBride
Mike is washing himself – Salem, 1963/1998
black and white photograph
54 x 35,5 cm

Jim Dine
Glyptotek, 1988

Raum VI

Cristina García Rodero
Wallfahrt im Morgengrauen, 1980 (Serie: España oculta)
black and white photograph
40 x 50 cm

Cristina García Rodero
Beim Dreschen, 1988 (Serie: España oculta)
black and white photograph
40 x 50 cm

Cristina García Rodero
Stierkampf in Ronda, 1981 (Serie: España oculta)
black and white photograph
40 x 50 cm

Ulrich Tillmann
Triumph und Tod des Helden, 1998/2004
c-print, behind plexiglass on aluminium
134 x 200 cm

Mathieu Molitor
Römischer Legionär, 1910
bronze
175 cm

Duane Michals
He burned the letter that brought him, the news he was loved no more, 1986
silver gelatin print
16,8 x 25,1 cm