A CURATOR and art director who was instrumental in bringing German expressionism to Leicester is being celebrated with a new book launch in the city.
Hans Hess was born in Erfurt in Germany in 1907, and his family counted artists like Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky amongst their friends. When he was forced out of Germany in the 1930s for being Jewish, he moved to England and, in 1944, he was appointed assistant keeper of art at Leicester Museum and Art Gallery.
Now, his publishers Manifesto Press have chosen the museum as the venue to launch his seminal works, Hans Hess: Volume One – Art in the 19th Century and Volume Two – Art in the 20th Century.
The book launch takes place on Saturday 28 June from 5.30pm, and is free to attend, although a ticket is required. The event will be an evening of art, history and insight, with guests able to enjoy exclusive access to the museum’s renowned German Expressionist gallery.
“We are delighted to be hosting this event with Manifesto Press, which will celebrate the works of this renowned curator who had strong links to Leicester,” said head of arts & museums Joanna Jones.
“Hans Hess was a remarkable person. In February 1944, amid the war’s darkest days, he worked with Leicester Museum’s art director Trevor Thomas to curate Mid European Art, a groundbreaking exhibition which introduced Britain to masterpieces by Franz Marc, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, and others - works the Nazis condemned as ‘degenerate.’ In exhibiting these works in 1944, Leicester stood as a beacon of cultural defiance.
“Thanks to our links with the Hess family, the courage of artists and collectors who fled Nazism and the visionary leadership of Trevor Thomas, we are able to celebrate Leicester’s unique status to this day as a global hub for German Expressionism.”
Assistant city mayor for culture, Cllr Vi Dempster, said: “Hans Hess’s story is a fantastic and moving one and is also a symbol of what Leicester stands for – we have a long history of welcoming refugees and standing up to discrimination.
“It is wonderful that we are able to celebrate his influence on our city by hosting the launch of his books at the museum he helped to shape.”
Hans Hess’ daughter, Anita Halpin, spent her early years in Leicester. “My father arrived in Leicester after 10 years of uncertainty and trauma,” she said. “Working with Trevor Thomas was the start of a new life for him and his family. He would be extremely pleased and gratified that the Leicester Museum and Art Gallery now has by far the largest collection of German expressionist works in this country.”
The books will be available to purchase at the launch, and a paid bar will be available throughout the evening. To book a ticket, visit Event Details – Leicester Museums
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Picture shows Rote Frau by Franz Marc, one of the first four works to come to Leicester's gallery from the Hess family with the 1944 exhibition.