Scandal! Hermione von Preuschen and the “Mors Imperator”

“Genius [is] so free that it does not turn to gender; it flies into the souls of whomever and however it wants.”

These words were spoken by the painter, poet, and world traveler Hermione von Preuschen at the “International Women's Congress” in Berlin in 1896, where she advocated for the emancipation of women, who at that time were denied education at the academies, in her speech “On the Artistic Study of Women.”

Born in Darmstadt in 1854, the artist took painting lessons from Ferdinand Keller in Karlsruhe for three years from 1872 onwards. Under his influence, she developed her decorative, dramatic style and discovered “historical still life” for herself. In 1887, she created her remarkable painting “Mors Imperator,” which marked the beginning of a series of large-format symbolist compositions. At the center of the painting stands a skeleton as a ruling figure in a purple cloak with ermine fur. Supported by a sword in its right hand, it knocks over the magnificent throne with its left hand in an authoritative gesture. The figure wears an iron crown with jagged points on its skull, while a crown set with precious stones falls to the ground. Its right foot stands on a globe – death appears here as the triumphant ruler of the world.

Von Preuschen sent the work to Berlin in 1887 for the Academy exhibition. However, the jury rejected the painting because they saw it as an allusion to the 90-year-old Emperor Wilhelm I. Even after the painter had succeeded in obtaining a declaration from the emperor that he would not raise any objections, the Academy jury continued to refuse to accept the painting. In the meantime, the artistic execution, which had previously been praised, had also been criticized: “The inartistic expression of a skewed thought."

The rest of the story reveals von Preuschen's outstanding understanding of the mechanisms of the art world and the power of public attention, as well as her strong self-confidence at a time when female artists faced considerable resistance. As a tactical countermeasure, she rented rooms at Leipziger Straße 43 in Berlin to publicly display the controversial painting, whose rejection had already been discussed in the press, for an admission fee. The success was overwhelming. Numerous visitors flocked to the exhibition, newspapers reported extensively on it, and quite a few critics openly questioned the jury's decision. The then 33-year-old painter was able to celebrate her triumph: the scandal surrounding “Mors Imperator” became the talk of the town and made her famous overnight.

In addition to the painting, publications, letters, and photos are presented in the exhibition that document both the scandal surrounding von Preuschen's most famous painting and her work as a writer, world traveler, and builder of the “Tempio Hermione” in Lichtenrade, a suburb of Berlin.

Curator: Birgit Verwiebe