Between Capri and Rome at the Prince Pückler Museum Branitz: Discovering Hugo Paul Harrer

Italian Highlights at the Prince Pückler Museum Branitz

The special exhibition Between Capri and Rome. Hugo Paul Harrer invites you on an art-historical journey through Roman cityscapes, southern coastal landscapes, and the history of a Cottbus collection. On July 31, 2026, a cabinet will open at the Prince Pückler Museum Park & Castle Branitz, making the work of painter Hugo Paul Harrer in his Italian themes newly tangible.

Rome, Amalfi, Capri: An Image Space of the South

At the center is an artist whose work is shaped by the Düsseldorf school, the study of nature, and a fascination with Italy. Harrer, born in 1836 and died in Rome in 1876, developed a painting style that merges architectural motifs, landscapes, and atmospheric observations. His drawings and paintings open up views of streets, ruins, and coastal areas where light, rock, vegetation, and building forms create a dense field of tension.

The exhibition comprehensively presents the collection from Cottbus for the first time, including numerous drawings, a portrait of Franziska, and a freshly restored Vesuvius. This connection between artwork contemplation and collection history is what makes the undertaking appealing: art is not only presented here but placed within a biographical and museological context.

Franziska Wickerath and the Cottbus Collection

A special emphasis is placed on Franziska Wickerath, who married Hugo Paul Harrer in 1868. Through her, the journey from Rome and the Amalfi coast to Cottbus is traced, where the works of her first husband found their way into the Carl-Blechen collection of the city. This creates an art-historically revealing connection between private life history, collection formation, and urban memory culture.

Harrer fits into the context of 19th-century German painting, where Italy was not just a motif but a land of longing, a place of study, and an artistic laboratory. His works combine realistic observation with romantically shaped pictorial poetry. Those interested in landscape painting, architectural painting, and the Düsseldorf school will find a multifaceted approach here.

Exhibition Atmosphere at Castle Branitz

The location enhances the impact of the exhibition. The Prince Pückler Museum Park & Castle Branitz, with its historic ambiance, provides a setting where art, architecture, and museum education ideally meet. The cabinet exhibition promises a concentrated art experience, where drawing, painting, and restored objects unfold their own quiet presence.

The embedding in the Branitz context is also remarkable: The house stands for cultural-historical depth, collection work, and a park and castle cosmos that has been art and education historically profiled for years. Thus, the visit becomes an aesthetic experience that transcends the individual exhibition.

Conclusion

Between Capri and Rome promises an informed look at a painter of the 19th century who is now rarely seen so vividly. Those who appreciate Italian landscapes, precise drawings, and museum-wise cleverly staged collection history should experience this exhibition live in Branitz. The visit is worthwhile as an artistic enjoyment, as an educational offering, and as an inspiring excursion into the world of longing for Rome and Italy.

Official Channels of Hugo Paul Harrer:

• Instagram: no official profile found
• Facebook: no official profile found
• YouTube: no official profile found
• Website: https://www.pueckler-museum.de

Sources:

• Cottbus Tourism - Special Exhibition Between Capri and Rome. Hugo Paul Harrer
• Prince Pückler Museum Foundation - Carl-Blechen Collection
• Prince Pückler Museum Foundation - Park Branitz
• Prince Pückler Museum Foundation - Fee and Usage Regulations
• Wikipedia - Hugo Harrer
• German Digital Library - Hugo Paul Harrer
• City of Cottbus - Exhibition Opening Between Capri and Rome