10 Paintings You Need to See at the Cassirer Exhibition in Berlin

This breathtaking collection was once gathered thanks to Paul Cassirer (1871–1926), a German art dealer and editor of Jewish background. With his close ties to France, Cassirer introduced French artists to the German-speaking world. One of them was Van Gogh, whose artworks he brought to Germany thanks to Johanna van Gogh-Bonger. The Cassirer exhibition at Alte Nationalgalerie featured over 120 impressionist and modernist artworks. There are not only French imports, though, as Cassirer was also an admirer and buyer of German modernists and young avant-garde artists of that time, such as Max Liebermann, Max Slevogt, Lovis Corinth, August Gaul, or Oskar Kokoschka.

The number of outstanding pieces presented at the Cassirer and the Breakthrough of Impressionism made it very hard to choose just 10. I recommend visiting the exhibition and making your own choice. Here’s mine:

1. Orchestra Musicians by Degas

Orchestra Musicians is one of many depictions of ballerinas within Edgar Degas’ oeuvre, although here we experience an less-visited point of view through the orchestra musicians, who take up the foreground of the painting. The strong contrast between the dark, sharp foreground and the luminous, slightly blurred background creates a captivating tension. This, combined with the impression of the viewer’s backstage position, makes you want to experience this painting for minutes and minutes.

2. The Bridge at Maincy by Cézanne

A true release for the eye. Looking at this painting makes you mind-travel to a cool forest. The calm surroundings of Paris gave the painter the opportunity to geometrify the landscape in his gradual move toward abstraction.

3. Jar of Peaches by Monet

A delicious painting from neighboring Dresden! A visual feast where the viewer can enjoy the masterfully painted reflection of the jarred fruits in the marble top. I bet it is possible to learn how to spice a peach kompot by studying this painting. Be careful not to get too hungry!

4. Boating with Kandinsky by Münter

This is a nice sneak peek into the artists’ private life. A roughly sketched scene from a trip captures the holiday mood. There is Wassily Kandinsky, Münter’s partner, in the center of the composition, staring straight at the viewer. Gabriele Münter was a founding member of the expressionist group Der Blaue Reiter and one of the most important painters of the Munich avant-garde.

5. The Luncheon by Manet

The Luncheon, but not on the grass. And the key figure here is male and dressed. Pettiness aside, this suggestive painting draws you in with its large scale and the naturalness of the scene it captures. It makes you want to pass the bored young gentleman and ask the waitress for some coffee.

6. Portrait of Suzanne Cassirer by Slevogt

One of the first things you see when entering the exhibition is the captivating portrait of a child by Max Slevogt. Slevogt was one of the most prominent German Impressionist painters and illustrators. The cute girl in a zebra-striped shirt depicted playing in the portrait is Cassirer’s daughter, Suzanne. Growing up, little Suse studied philosophy, art history, and medicine, and then went to Vienna to master psychoanalysis with Sigmund Freud. She eventually emigrated to the States in 1937.

7. Self-Portrait by Van Gogh

Another highlight of the exhibition is one of the lesser-known Van Gogh self-portraits. He looks directly at the viewer with a slightly grim expression. Painted on cardboard in a very sketchy manière, we can observe how Van Gogh was using techniques characteristic of both Impressionism and Pointillism, applying small dots and patches of color to build a vibrant, lively picture.

8. In Summer by Renoir

This summery painting showcases Lise Tréhot, a woman who appears in many of Renoir’s paintings. She is shown in a nonchalant, slightly teasing pose, although still looking like a child, which makes me feel uncomfortable looking at this painting. I counted, though, that she was supposed to be 20 when this portrait was made. Fun fact—it was painted in the studio and the background was only added later. This painting was also Renoir’s first Salon success.

9. Miss La La by Degas

It is the only circus painting by Degas, in contrast with his ballerinas. He visited the Parisian circus Fernando a few times to sketch. He focused on a Afro-German acrobat known as Miss La La. Olga Brown was a human cannonball (la femme canon) born in Stettin (back then in Prussia, today Szczecin in Poland). Degas made several sketches, three pastels, and only one painting, which is now on view in Berlin!

10. Woman with Dog by Spiro

There are two portraits of Tilla Durieux featured in this exhibition (the other one by the famous Franz von Stuck, also amazing!). She was one of the most renowned actresses of the German interwar period. She was also the wife of the painter until the year this portrait was made. Afterwards, she became the wife of Paul Cassirer and when she divorced him 16 years later, Cassirer took his life.

Luckily the vast collection survived him and his legacy is to see this summer in Berlin. Definitely worth a trip to this vibrant capital. The Cassirer exhibition in Berlin is accompanied by a well-prepared catalogue with everything this wonderful exhibition encloses, plus a few good essays. Available in German and English.

Cassirer and the Breakthrough of Impressionism is to see at the Alte Nationalgalerie on Museum Island in Berlin until September 27, 2026.