Experience Between Capri and Rome: Hugo Paul Harrer in Branitz

Italian Painting in Historical Branitz: Rediscovering Hugo Paul Harrer

The special exhibition Between Capri and Rome. Hugo Paul Harrer at the Fürst Pückler Museum Park & Schloss Branitz focuses on a little-known painter of the 19th century. Central to the exhibition is an artistic estate that came into the Cottbus collection through Franziska Wickerath and is now being presented comprehensively for the first time. The exhibition combines drawing, painting, and cultural history into an intense art experience. ([cottbus-news.de](https://www.cottbus-news.de/veranstaltungen/ausstellungen/sonderausstellung-zwischen-capri-und-rom-hugo-paul-harrer-26081807064240))

An Artist Between Realism and Italian Longing

Hugo Paul Harrer, born in 1836 in Hirschberg in Silesia, developed his artistic language from direct observation of nature. After stages in Nuremberg, Munich, Rome, and Düsseldorf, he found a realistic painting style that connects architecture, ruins, and coastal landscapes with precise atmosphere. His closeness to the Düsseldorf School of Painting, his eye for light, and his preference for architectural vedutas shape his work to this day. ([stiftung-volmer.de](https://www.stiftung-volmer.de/artist/321?utm_source=openai))

Franziska Wickerath as a Silent Carrier of Collection History

Particularly fascinating is the role of Franziska Wickerath. She married Harrer in 1868, lived with him in Rome and on the Amalfi Coast, and ensured that many works were exhibited after his early death. Later in Cottbus, she bequeathed numerous works that are now part of the Carl-Blechen collection of the city of Cottbus. Thus, the exhibition not only tells of a painter but also of cultural transmission and the formation of collections. ([cottbus-news.de](https://www.cottbus-news.de/veranstaltungen/ausstellungen/sonderausstellung-zwischen-capri-und-rom-hugo-paul-harrer-26081807064240))

Drawings, Portrait, and Vesuvius: The Italy of the Harrers

The cabinet exhibition showcases the collection for the first time comprehensively, including numerous drawings, the portrait of Franziska, and a freshly restored Vesuvius. This group of works opens up a rich exploration of the oeuvre: sun-drenched motifs, ruins, street scenes, and coastal views unfold a visual world between wanderlust and historical accuracy. Those who appreciate the realism of the 19th century will experience here an aesthetic experience with a clear art historical profile. ([cottbus.de](https://cottbus.de/veranstaltungen/sonderausstellung-zwischen-capri-und-rom-hugo-paul-harrer-41/))

Branitz as a Resonance Space for Art and Landscape

The Fürst Pückler Museum Park & Schloss Branitz provides a particularly harmonious setting for this exhibition. The foundation presents the castle ensemble, historical living spaces, estate management, horse stabling, and castle horticulture as places for a diverse cultural program. At the same time, the connection of castle, park, and collection makes the exhibition atmosphere in Branitz unique: art, garden art, and architecture directly interconnect here. ([mwfk.brandenburg.de](https://mwfk.brandenburg.de/mwfk/de/start/kultur/kulturlandschaft-brandenburg/ueberregionale-kulturinstitutionen/stiftung-fuerst-pueckler-museum-park-und-schloss-branitz/))

Visit, Occasion, and Practical Orientation

The exhibition starts on 16.09.2026 at 10:00 AM at the Fürst Pückler Museum Park & Schloss Branitz in Cottbus and is scheduled to be open until 5:00 PM. Admission is subject to a fee; it is quoted at 11.00 euros for adults and 8.00 euros reduced, while children and teenagers up to 18 years have free admission. Thus, the visit is suitable for both art enthusiasts and culturally curious guests. ([cottbus.de](https://cottbus.de/veranstaltungen/sonderausstellung-zwischen-capri-und-rom-hugo-paul-harrer-41/))

Conclusion: Between Capri and Rome. Hugo Paul Harrer opens a clever, sensual, and art historically precise access to a painter between Rome, Düsseldorf, and the Amalfi Coast. Anyone wishing to experience drawing, painting, and collection history in dialogue should definitely visit this exhibition live in Branitz. ([cottbus.de](https://www.cottbus-news.de/veranstaltungen/ausstellungen/sonderausstellung-zwischen-capri-und-rom-hugo-paul-harrer-26081807064240))

Official Channels of Fürst Pückler Museum Park & Schloss Branitz:

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

Sources:

• City of Cottbus/Chóśebuz - Special Exhibition: Between Capri and Rome. Hugo Paul Harrer
• Foundation Fürst-Pückler-Museum Park and Schloss Branitz - Official Website
• Ministry of Science, Research and Culture Brandenburg - Foundation Fürst-Pückler-Museum Park and Schloss Branitz
• Foundation Collection Volmer - Hugo Paul Harrer
• Collections of the State Museums of Berlin - Theater of Marcellus in Rome