KANSAS CITY, MO.- For the first time in its 90-plus year history, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City presents masterworks from a group of late 1800s/early 1900s artists who established a vision of wildlife and wilderness that continues to resonate today. Survival of the Fittest: Picturing Wildlife and Wilderness, Masterworks from the Rijksmuseum Twenthe and the National Museum of Wildlife Art features 50 paintings created by a group of painters known today as the Big Four that influenced generations of wildlife in the 20th and 21st centuries. These international painters were Carl Rungius (American, born Germany, 1869 – 1959), Richard Friese (German, 1854 – 1918), Wilhelm Kuhnert (German, 1865 – 1926), and Bruno Liljefors (Sweden, 1860 – 1939). The exhibition opened March 22 and closes Aug. 24.
Immerse yourself in the breathtaking landscapes and wildlife captured by Carl Rungius. Explore his detailed paintings and sketches in beautifully curated art books.
“Wildlife art is an important and popular category within art history stretching back centuries, yet mainstream art museums have often ignored it,” said Julián Zugazagoitia, Director & CEO of the Nelson-Atkins. “We are excited to have the opportunity to expand the stories we tell by showcasing these dynamic historical examples by a group of artists who revolutionized the ways European and American art depicted animals.”
While other institutions hold significant collections of work by individual members of the Big Four, the Rijksmuseum Twenthe in Enschede, Netherlands, and the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming, United States, are the only two museums in the world to hold masterpieces by each member of the group. Survival of the Fittest brings together the best paintings from these two esteemed institutions to create a stunning exhibition that will visually impress visitors as it explores a range of topical subjects.
“These artists are the best of the best in wildlife painting of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the paintings displayed in this show are among the best of the best of their works,” said William Keyse Rudolph, Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs and Chief Curator.
Unlike earlier generations of European and American artist- who often used animals to convey symbolic messages or depicted them as subservient to humans, the Big Four offered new depictions. Informed by the scientific theories of Charles Darwin, they painted wildlife and wildlands as they were—onsite in Africa, Europe, and America—a more accurate and dynamic form of representation. Selected examples from the Nelson-Atkins’ own collections provide examples of American and European art before this revolutionary approach, as well as show complementary visions by African and Native American artists whose long histories and relationships with wildlife offer important, enduring artistic traditions. As a special feature, the first English and German editions of Darwin’s “Origin of Species” are on view, lent by the Linda Hall Library, allowing visitors to see the texts that changed the world.
Besides the aesthetic power of the paintings, these works also raise historical questions about the role of Colonialism and the development of conservation practices for wildlife and wild-land—issues we deal with today. From polar bears to falcons, big cats to elephants, the works in Survival of the Fittest will engage the eye and stimulate reflection.
A fully illustrated catalogue explores issues of representation of animals in art, conservation, and the tricky balance between 19th century wildlife art painted on site and colonialism. Meanwhile, a range of creative activities and interpretation, created especially by the museum, will help connect the works to the rest of the collections onsite, as well as help teach guests about conservation.
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