“The Greatest Happiness on Earth” explores the cultural and art-historical significance of the horse from antiquity to the present day and will be on view alongside (TS)CHIO in May and the FEI World Championships in August. These international equestrian events provide an opportunity to examine a theme closely linked to the identity and historical development of the city of Aachen and the Rhineland.
The exhibition highlights just how profoundly horses have shaped human life since antiquity—as prestigious companions to rulers and nobility, as indispensable workers in agriculture and transportation, or as part of leisure culture and childhood.
The exhibition’s thematic focus is derived from the arrangement of the exhibits, beginning with works from the Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum’s own collection, which are thoughtfully complemented by selected loans from German, Belgian, and Dutch museums and private collections.
This creates a multifaceted overview of depictions of horses from antiquity through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to the present day. Among the works on display are pieces by Albrecht Dürer, Esaias van de Velde the Elder, Philips Wouwerman, Peter Paul Rubens, Francisco de Goya, Johanna Block, Max Klinger, Lovis Corinth, Max Liebermann, Renée Sintenis, Berlinde de Bruyckere, Maximiliane Baumgartner, and Marcel Walldorf.
Sarvenaz Ayooghi, Wibke Vera Birth
An extensive accompanying programme is planned for visitors of all ages, including guided tours, workshops or artist talks.
A small booklet will accompany the exhibition.
We are grateful to our sponsors and partners:
LVR-Landschaftsverband Rheinland / Sparkasse Jugend- und Kulturstiftung / Lohmann-Hellenthal Stiftung / Museumsverein Aachen
