The philosopher George Santayana famously wrote that that, “Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it”. Anselm Kiefer: Early Works is a new landmark exhibition of the work of the German painter and sculptor, which sketches a portrait of an artist determined not to forget the past.
Marking his 80th birthday, the exhibition, Anselm Kiefer: Early Works, at the Ashmolean Museum, traces Kiefer’s constant dialogue with history, conflict, mythology and the human condition. In his work – which is renowned for monumental paintings and installations – the artist scrutinises the contradictions of German identity, the burden of history and the wounds inflicted by war.
Engaged in a relentless, confrontational debate with his country’s Nazi past, Kiefer’s oeuvre can be interpreted as a prime example of the uniquely German concept of Vergangenheitsbewältigung (the struggle to overcome the past.) The Leitmotiv in the work of this titanic figure in post-war German art includes sunflowers and shattered landscapes, which have a profound resonance in his nation’s history.
Kiefer’s techniques and materials – which include straw, lead, concrete, fire and ash – are also highly significant, as his work ceaselessly evolves through its interaction with nature.
Left, Anselm Kiefer, Untitled, 1974. Courtesy of the Hall Art Foundation. © Anselm Kiefer / Adam Reich. Right, Anselm Kiefer, The Adige, early 1970s. Courtesy of the Hall Art Foundation. © Anselm Kiefer / Mark-Woods.com.
The exhibition features 45 early works produced during the period 1969-82, including paintings, watercolours, books, photos and woodcuts scarcely seen in the UK before. Look out for such compelling works as Die Etsch (The Adige), an early-1970s piece created with watercolour, gouache and ink on paper.
Anselm Kiefer: Early Works also showcases three new paintings from the artist’s own collection, selected by him especially for the Ashmolean exhibition, which has been arranged in partnership with the Hall Art Foundation.
According to Dr Xa Sturgis CBE, Director of the Ashmolean: “Throughout his career, Anselm Kiefer has pushed the boundaries of what is possible in art, challenging what art can and should do in response to the world around us. This exhibition takes us back to Kiefer’s origins and aims to offer a new understanding of his long and distinguished career.”
This major exhibition reminds us that great art is not just there to comfort; it is also there to challenge.
Author: James Rampton
Anselm Kiefer: Early Works
14 February – 15 June 2025
The Ashmolean Museum
University of Oxford. Beaumont St, Oxford, OX1 2PH
More information and tickets, HERE.
Lead image: Till Brönner, Anselm Kiefer, 2023 (image cropped from the original due to formatting restrictions).
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