Silver, Shine, and a Riot of Colors

Two worlds meet – Reverse glass paintings from China and Upper Bavaria

DATE

10 December 2022 – 31 March 2023

Bizarre mountain landscapes, exquisite still lifes with auspicious meanings, women with fans, mothers ensuring that their sons memorize their lessons, mythical creatures carrying the longed-for son on their backs (always and only sons), phoenixes amid peonies, and ancient legends—the world of Chinese reverse glass paintings reflects people’s ideas of happiness and their desires. 60 reverse glass paintings from the 19th and early 20th century from the Mei-Lin collection are on display in this exhibition.

Two worlds meet – in contrast, we present reverse glass paintings from the late 18th and 19th centuries from the famous traditional painting centers of Upper Bavaria: the Staffelsee region, Murnau, and Oberammergau. An engaging tour through the museum, following the traces of its own reverse glass collection, complements the special exhibition.

Queen Caroline of Bavaria (1776–1841), Joseph Mangold, Oberammergau,
early 19th century (Oberammergau Museum)

Since 1925, the year the museum opened—then located at today’s Rathausplatz—the Werdenfels Museum has housed reverse glass paintings from various places of origin. The collection has now grown to nearly 300 objects, most of which can be viewed throughout the building, distributed across many rooms. In addition to reverse glass paintings from the Staffelsee region and Oberammergau, there are also works from Tyrol, Augsburg, Buchers, Sandl, and Raimundsreut. This collection has traditionally been a key focus of the museum, as the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen is an internationally renowned region with a rich history of reverse glass painting. In Seehausen, Uffing, Murnau, and Oberammergau, glass painting has been practiced since the mid-18th century, and this art form is still partly practiced today.

The historical reverse glass art rooted in this region largely depicts scenes from the life of Christ and images of saints, but also portraits or landscapes that bring a bygone world back to life. In Chinese reverse glass paintings, one finds mountain landscapes, auspicious still lifes, mothers with children, mythical creatures carrying the longed-for son on their backs, phoenixes amid peonies, and ancient legends—the world of Chinese reverse glass paintings reflects people’s ideas of happiness and longing.

Looking more closely, despite all differences, one notices similarities. Catholic saints were also meant to bring protection and good fortune, and in terms of motifs, a Saint Anne teaching Mary to read can be compared to a mother ensuring that her son memorizes his lessons. The style of representation grew out of the fashions of the time and the respective cultures of the countries. Thus, in both traditions there is also decorative reverse glass painting, which served as ornament in the homes of wealthier classes. We invite you to take a closer look, compare, and take your time to also compare the reverse glass paintings in the Werdenfels Museum collection with the exhibits in the special exhibition.