The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York has opened a groundbreaking exhibition titled "Gabriele Münter: Contours of a World," offering visitors the first comprehensive survey of the German Expressionist artist's work in the United States. Running through April 26, 2026, this dynamic showcase reveals previously unknown aspects of Münter's artistic practice, including her pioneering work in photography that has never before been exhibited in America.
The exhibition begins with an unexpected surprise for visitors familiar with Münter's painted works: an entire gallery filled with black-and-white photographs. According to Guggenheim curator Megan Fontanella, Münter actually picked up a camera before she ever touched a paintbrush, making photography a foundational element of her artistic development. This photographic work provides crucial insight into the visual thinking that would later inform her celebrated paintings.
Between 1898 and 1900, during her early twenties, Münter traveled extensively through the American South with her sister, visiting Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas. Using birthday money to purchase a No. 2 Bulls-Eye Kodak camera, she documented what she witnessed as a 23-year-old European observer in America. Her photographs reveal her natural eye for composition and her understanding of light and shadow, skills that would later translate directly into her painting practice.
One particularly striking photograph captures a young girl in a stiff pinafore dress, her hair twisted into ringlets as she tilts her head away from the sun. The image includes Münter's own shadow in the frame, a subtle self-insertion reminiscent of photographer Vivian Maier's work. Another powerful image, titled "Three Women," shows three elegantly dressed Black women walking through Marshall, Texas, during the Emancipation Day Festival on June 19, 1900—a day now known as Juneteenth. White children can be seen staring as the women stride confidently through the town.
In letters to her brother back in Germany, Münter wrote that she was "snapping as if her body and soul depended on it," clearly recognizing that she was witnessing and documenting something historically significant. Her keen observation skills and curiosity about the world around her were evident from these early works, establishing patterns that would define her entire artistic career.
Curator Fontanella draws direct connections between Münter's photographic experiments and her later paintings. The artist's exploration of framing, perception, depth of field, and the interplay of light and shadow in photography directly influenced her approach to canvas work. This influence is particularly evident in paintings like "Breakfast of the Birds" (1934), an unusual work in which the subject faces away from the viewer, demonstrating Münter's sophisticated understanding of spatial relationships and perspective.
The exhibition's title, "Contours of a World," comes directly from Münter's own description of her artistic process. She once explained: "I extract the most expressive aspects of reality and depict them simply, to the point, with no frills—the forms gather in outlines, the colors become fields, and contours—images—of the world emerge." This statement serves as an artistic manifesto that guides viewers through the exhibition.
What made Münter radical for her time was her steadfast commitment to representing observable reality when many of her contemporaries were moving toward abstraction and fractured picture planes. While other artists embraced abstract language as synonymous with modernity, Münter pioneered a different approach by focusing intently on the world around her. Her paintings capture friends like fellow painter Gertrude Holz, intimate domestic scenes in Murnau, and urban landscapes of Parisian streets.
Despite her significant contributions to German Expressionism, Münter's work has long been overshadowed by her relationship with Wassily Kandinsky, and the art world has been slow to give her proper recognition. The Guggenheim's permanent collection contains only one 1930s-era painting by Münter, while works by her male contemporaries like Kandinsky and Franz Marc are well represented. Fontanella views this exhibition as a necessary course correction, stating that it represents "a chance for us to say this is an artist we wish was more strongly represented in our collection."
The exhibition includes numerous masterworks that demonstrate Münter's range and skill. "Portrait of Anna Roslund" (1917) showcases her ability to capture individual personality through bold color choices and confident brushwork. "Still Life on the Tram (After Shopping)" (circa 1909-1912) reveals her interest in everyday moments and modern urban life. "From the Griesbrau Window" (1908) demonstrates her mastery of interior scenes and her ability to capture light filtering through domestic spaces.
Fontanella hopes that exhibitions emphasizing the multiplicity of modernism will open doors for highlighting other overlooked artists in the future. She believes that Münter's approach to slow, contemplative observation offers a valuable antidote to our current era of rapid-fire information and image consumption. "Münter always rewards you for spending time with her paintings," Fontanella notes, emphasizing the meditative quality of engaging with the artist's work.
The timing of this major retrospective feels particularly relevant given contemporary discussions about representation in museum collections and the historical marginalization of women artists. By presenting Münter's photography alongside her paintings, the exhibition offers a more complete understanding of her artistic development and challenges previous assumptions about her place within German Expressionism. The show ultimately positions Münter not as a secondary figure overshadowed by famous male colleagues, but as an innovative artist who developed a unique visual language through careful observation of the world around her.
