Max Sulzbachner

The Kunstmuseum Basel is featuring a retrospective of Max Sulzbachner's work, an artist from Basel who lived from 1904 to 1985. Despite his popularity, his oeuvre has never been comprehensively studied before. The exhibition, along with a catalogue, aims to fill this gap in the art history of Basel.

Sulzbachner's early work is characterized by woodcuts, including the haunting series "Moonlit Nights" from 1925, which shows the influence of the Rot-Blau group of artists in Basel and their admiration for Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's Expressionism. Sulzbachner was fascinated by all forms of theatricality and entertainment, and frequently depicted landscapes, fairgrounds, circus stages, and other scenes of thrilling and bizarre goings-on.

In addition to his work as a painter and printmaker, Sulzbachner was also a set designer, and his sketches for stage decorations are included in the exhibition. He was a passionate Fasnacht celebrant, painting lanterns, writing and illustrating provocative "Schnitzelbank" ballads, and designing carnival costumes. His commitment to Basel's vernacular artistic tradition earned him the enduring affection of many in the city.

Overall, the retrospective offers a multifaceted look at Sulzbachner's oeuvre, shedding new light on art in Basel and the city's cultural scene from the post-World War I years until the 1960s.