It is back into the basement for most of the paintings from the "Panopticon - The Secret Treasures of the Wallraf" exhibition. The pictures were part of one of the museum's most successful exhibitions, which closes in a few days time. So why are these artworks being taken from public view?

The director of Cologne's Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Andreas Bluehm, says it is simply because the museum does not have enough space to include them in a permanent exhibition.

Limited space

Most the world's museums - and Germany's institutions are no exception - are able to display only a portion of their collections at one time. The Wallraff-Ruchartz Museum's collected works consist of some 2,000 paintings and only around a quarter of these are on display at the same time. The rest are in storage.

The exhibition "Panopticon - Tthe Secret Treasures of the Wallraf" was part of the museum's 150th anniversary celebrations and presented many of the institution's seldom-seen treasures. Andreas Bluehm says 25 percent is not a bad average, adding, "Space is limited and we have to make a choice."

So how do museums decide on what is exhibited and what stays in storage? Bluehm confides that this is the art of running a successful museum. One of his main tasks is deciding what should be displayed and for how long - and what should stay in the cellar.

Space is only one factor. Some paintings are rarely displayed because they are no longer considered relevant within the realms of art history, others simply because the taste of today's art enthusiasts has changed. Andreas Bluehm explained that from time to time the public's preferences changes for certain types of art.

He mentioned 19th-century "academic paintings," with their depiction of obscure political events or religious motifs, as an example of work that has little appeal to today's public. Several of these larger paintings are included in the current exhibition.

Impressionists remain popular

Paintings portraying long-past coronations or religious rituals can't compete with the vibrant wild fields and soft city lights of the Impressionists' works. But succumbing to the taste of the masses could result in more obscure works being neglected.

Although the Cologne museum has an extensive number of Impressionist paintings, it still aims to present a balanced mixture of works and ensures that art history is represented - in its entirety. A rotating exhibition ensures a large number of the museum's works by lesser-known artists are also displayed.

Some pictures from the current show have now made their way into the permanent exhibition. Among these is "The Singing Monk" by Carl Spitzweg (1808-1885), one of Germany's most renowned Biedermeier-era artists. Bluehm and his staff were puzzled as to why this work had not previously been included in the permanent exhibition.

The museum's staff decided to ask visitors what their favorite painting was.

"Forgive Us Uur Trespasses" by Walter Firles was the clear winner. Bluehm confided that this choice, the largest painting in the exhibition, had surprised him. Spizweg's "The Singing Monk" only came in third place, behind a less spectacular but atmospheric forest landscape by Christian Rohlf.

Art and taste

But just how democratic can a museum be? Bluehm is undecided. "As a museum director you are absorbed by your work and convinced you alone know what works need to be in exhibitions," he said. "You can sometimes lose touch with the public's taste."

"We need something in-between," he said. "To approach art in a way that doesn't only please art experts, but also the general public - that was the idea behind the exhibition "Panopticon - The Secret Treasures of the Wallraf."

Author: Jochen Kürten / bos

Redaktion: Kate Bowen