Between Capri and Rome at Branitz Castle: Discover Hugo Paul Harrer
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Between Capri and Rome: Hugo Paul Harrer's Italy at Branitz Castle
The special exhibition at the Prince Pückler Museum Park & Castle Branitz is dedicated to the painter Hugo Paul Harrer and his artistic engagement with Rome, the Amalfi Coast, and the Italian landscape. On October 7, 2026, art enthusiasts can expect an intensive artistic experience between drawing, portrait, and landscape painting.
A Journey through Light, Landscape, and Memory
Hugo Paul Harrer lived with his wife Franziska Wickerath in Rome and undertook painting trips to the Amalfi Coast. His works preserve the gaze of an artist who observed architecture, landscape, and atmosphere with great attention. Italy does not appear merely as a backdrop but as an aesthetic experiential space full of light, distant views, and southern colors.
The Story of Hugo Paul Harrer and Franziska Wickerath
Franziska Wickerath married the painter Hugo Paul Harrer in 1868. After his early death, she advocated for the presentation of his paintings. Later, she lived with the lawyer Paul Werner in Cottbus and became known as the city's first female mayor. Numerous works by Harrer came into her possession and are now part of the Carl-Blechen Collection of the city of Cottbus. The exhibition thus connects artist biography, collection history, and cultural memory.
Drawings, Portrait, and the Restored Vesuvius
The cabinet exhibition shows the preserved collection comprehensively for the first time. Many drawings, a portrait of Franziska, and a freshly restored work featuring the motif of the Vesuvius will be on display. In the examination of the drawings, Harrer's precise observation skills become evident: lines, contours, and spatial gradations condense travel impressions into autonomous image compositions.
Art Historical Context
Harrer’s painting stands in the cultural tension of the 19th century between romantic landscape experience, realistic observation, and the lasting fascination with Italy. The exhibition opens an art historical perspective on an artist whose work is closely linked to European travel culture, German exhibition history, and the development of bourgeois art collections.
Exhibition Atmosphere at Branitz Castle
The presentation in the historical ensemble of Branitz Castle creates a special exhibition atmosphere. Interior spaces, collection, and landscape park form a sensuous context for aesthetic experience. After the exhibition, visitors can continue to explore the works in the Branitz Park, where garden art, architecture, and cultural education seamlessly interconnect.
Conclusion: Experience Italian Imagery in Cottbus
The special exhibition promises a quiet, rich in images, and art-historically revealing encounter with Hugo Paul Harrer. Visitors will discover drawings, portraits, and landscapes, learn more about the eventful history of Franziska Wickerath, and experience Italian travel images in a significant historical museum. Anyone wishing to connect 19th-century painting, collection history, and aesthetic experience should definitely visit the exhibition live at Branitz Castle.
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