Richild Holt - Blue hour
The exhibition "Richild Holt - Blue Hour", which shows a selection of nudes and self-portraits from the artist's oeuvre spanning over four decades, can be seen at the frauen museum until July 3.
The human being is the central theme in Richild Holt's artistic work. A combination of realistic accuracy in the figurative representation and an expressive style characterizes the artist's sensitive, honest (self-)portraits.
The faces and bodies are modeled in strong light-dark and color contrasts. The figures are set against a reduced and highly abstracted background. The portraits are characterized by emotional intensity, tense dynamics and great intimacy.
Her nudes are also sensitive portraits in which she achieves authenticity rather than idealized representation. Appearance and personality are expressed in the tradition and aspirations of portrait painting since the High Renaissance. The viewer encounters an intense physicality and vulnerability. In its immediate presence, the body simultaneously presents itself as a carrier and visible expression of experiences, emotions and social connotations, of identity. Just as in the blue hour of evening twilight, the exterior and interior of those portrayed shine with equal brightness.
The painting process is accompanied by a close exchange between the sitter and the artist, in the course of which a portrait is created that captures the personality of the subject and translates it onto the canvas. Richild Holt describes these joint portrait sessions as "the most intense conversation imaginable".
About the artist
Richild Holt, born in 1941 in Einöde near Villach, creates expressive portraits, still lifes and landscapes in her always figurative paintings and drawings. After training and working in commercial advertising, she studied at the New School for Social Research in New York in 1968/69, focusing on figurative drawing.
It was not until 1981, after the birth of three children, that she was able to continue her studies at the Stuttgart Art Academy. In 1987, the artist's first comprehensive solo exhibition took place at the Mussavi Arts Center in New York. This was followed by numerous national and international exhibitions. Her works can be found in public and private collections, including the frauen museum wiesbaden, the Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington D.C and the University of Stuttgart. The work cycle "Metamorphosis" comprises self-portraits created between 1986 and 1988, in which the artist captured her breast cancer and mastectomy. It is located in the DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) in Heidelberg.
Supported by the Cultural Office of the City of Wiesbaden
Public guided tours through the exhibition:
- Sunday, June 29, 2025, 3 p.m.
- Thursday, July 3, 2025, 3 p.m. - Finissage
Guided tour and a reason to toast!