Images & Texts

First comprehensive exhibition in the German-speaking world devoted to one of the most fascinating figures in art history / Ticket pre-sales now open

Frankfurt am Main, 11 June 2026. From Dürer to Lady Gaga, from Beckmann to Lotte Laserstein: beginning 17 September 2026, the Städel Museum and the Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung will present the first comprehensive exhibition in the German-speaking world dedicated to the extraordinary figure of Mary Magdalene. The exhibition, “Mary Magdalene. Sin. Pray. Love.”, traces the transformation of her image over the centuries—from apostle and devoted follower of Jesus to sinner and ascetic penitent, from ecstatic saint to modern, self-determined woman and identification figure.
At the heart of the exhibition are key works from the collections of the Städel Museum and the Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung. More than 100 outstanding paintings, sculptures and works on paper spanning from the Middle Ages to the present day—including major loans from German and international collections—offer a multifaceted perspective on the artistic and emotional range of representations of Mary Magdalene. With a special focus on women artists, the Städel Museum will feature works by Lavinia Fontana, Elisabetta Sirani, Luisa Roldán, Lotte Laserstein, Kiki Smith, Marlene Dumas and Nieves González, alongside masterpieces by renowned male artists such as Albrecht Dürer, Pedro de Mena, Guercino, Georges de La Tour, Claude Lorrain, Auguste Rodin, Arnold Böcklin, Max Beckmann and David LaChapelle.

Philipp Demandt, Director of the Städel Museum and the Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung, explains: “One of the particular strengths of both the Städel Museum and the Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung is the ability to present art across historical periods and to connect historical themes with contemporary questions. In recent years, we have repeatedly dedicated our major exhibitions to significant women artists, including Ottilie W. Roederstein, Lotte Laserstein and, most recently, Annegret Soltau. With ‘Mary Magdalene. Sin. Pray. Love.’, we now turn our attention to one of the most influential female figures in art history. Few subjects have been depicted and reinterpreted in such diverse ways over the centuries. We are delighted to present a comprehensive exploration of Mary Magdalene’s rich visual history and to shed light on a figure through whom questions of gender roles, spirituality and female experience continue to resonate today.”

You can find the full press release here as a PDF. 

18 June – 20 September 2026
Exhibition Hall of the Department of Prints and Drawings

Frankfurt am Main, 21 May 2026. Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1526/30–1569) is regarded as one of the outstanding artists of sixteenth-century Dutch art. His works transport viewers into a fascinating world of humorous visual ideas and enigmatic motifs. Although he is today primarily known as a painter, he made a name for himself early on through his designs for prints. In the exhibition Bruegel. Printed, the Städel Museum brings together around forty-five exceptional prints based on Bruegel’s drawings. They reveal him as a unique innovator and an inimitable storyteller, whose motifs range from vast landscapes to secular and religious allegories and scenes of everyday life.
Bruegel’s prints were created in close collaboration with the Antwerp publisher Hieronymus Cock and his wife, Volcxken Diericx. They convey a vivid impression of the artist’s unique visual world, which combines observation and imagination. Drawing on his fondness for the detailed, grotesque motifs of Hieronymus Bosch and his broad knowledge of pictorial and thematic traditions, he developed new forms of representation for traditional themes. His compositions, which frequently employ exaggeration, make the audience laugh while simultaneously prompting reflection. Bruegel addresses human weaknesses and social ills, highlights the grandeur of nature, and simultaneously turns his gaze to everyday social interactions. To this day, his works offer surprisingly contemporary perspectives on fundamental questions of human values.
The starting point for the exhibition at the Städel is Bruegel’s prints from the museum’s own collection, of which around thirty are on display. This selection is complemented by loans from the Albertina in Vienna and the Staatliche Graphische Sammlung in Munich. In addition, the exhibition features two paintings by his son, Pieter Brueghel the Younger, as well as further sheets from the Städel Museum’s impressive collection of Dutch prints, including works after Frans Floris, Lambert Lombard and Raphael.

The exhibition is made possible by funding from the Städelscher Museums-Verein.

Philipp Demandt, Director of the Städel Museum, on the exhibition: “With our exhibition on Bruegel’s prints, the Städel once again offers a glimpse into the extraordinary treasures of its Collection of Prints and Drawings, which, with around 100,000 sheets ranging from the late Middle Ages to the present day, ranks among the most significant collections of its kind in Germany. Visitors are invited to embark on an impressive journey of discovery through Bruegel’s multi-layered visual worlds, full of narrative power, subtle observations and surprising details.”

Astrid Reuter, Head of Prints and Drawings before 1800 at the Städel Museum: “Bruegel’s pictorial inventions were already in high demand during his lifetime. They served not only for entertainment but also formed the subject of scholarly discussions. The particular appeal of his works arises from the interplay of closeness to nature, ingenuity and humorous exaggeration. Valued as imaginative creations offering critical reflections on human values and behaviour, his works continue to inspire discovery, reflection and laughter to this day.”