Weekend trip crossdressed – Hamburger Kunsthalle

Anybody who has visited this blog more than once, will have gathered that Franzi loves arts, for the most part in the form of musicals, classical concerts, operas, ballet, or museums. Anybody who has followed Franzi’s five weekend trips crossdressed, will know that a visit to one of the top local museums at the given location is a must. And the pick for this trip and day was “Hamburger Kunsthalle.”

“Hamburger Kunsthalle” is one of the largest art museums in the country. It was initiated by Hamburg citizens, who founded a Society for the Arts in 1817. It consists of three connected buildings, dating from as early as 1869, being located close to the old city center between Hamburg central station and “Binnenalster.” The name “Kunsthalle” indicates the museum's history as an 'art hall' when it was founded in 1850. Today, it houses one of the few art collections in Germany that covers seven centuries of European art, from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Outside Hamburger Kunsthalle. Believe it or not, I, actually, had some difficulties finding this place. Somehow, my maps showed a different address, and I walked around the area for a while to finally find it.

I would call this picture, taken by a fellow museum-lover in the central staircase, one of my recent favorites. What do you think?

Sitting pretty version 1

Sitting pretty version 2

Have you heard of Max Carl Friedrich Beckmann? He was a German painter, draftsman, printmaker, sculptor, and writer, considered to be an expressionist, which he denied. He was born in Leipzig in 1884 and died in New York City in 1950. He was a teacher at the Städelschule Academy of Fine Art in Frankfurt, until he was dismissed in 1933 for being a “cultural Bolshevik,” following the rise of the Nazis in Germany. The Städel museum in Frankfurt, which had been mentioned several times in my earlier postings, has a very deep connection with Beckmann, who lived in Frankfurt from 1915 until 1933. It holds one of the most important Beckmann collections worldwide, built continuously for over a century, including paintings, prints, and – most notably – drawings. From December 2025 to March 2026, the Städel museum presented a “Beckmann” exhibition with 80 of his works from all phases of his career. And, of course, my wife and I – being supporting members of Städel – visited this exhibition. Oops, it seems I forgot that this posting was to be about Hamburg.

This is a (self-)portrait bust of Beckmann (left) made from bounce in 1936.

Beckmann’s “Odysseus and Calypso” (background) from 1943, while he was living in exile in The Netherlands – and Franzi (foreground). Calypso held Odysseus captive on the island of Ogygia for seven years, where she granted him immortality and eternal youth, which doesn’t sound so bad to me.

“The virgin Mary and Child with the young St. John the Baptist and angels” from Italian Renaissance painter Sebastiano di Bartolo Mainardi (1466-1512/13). To be honest, it was more the blue wall than the painting itself why I picked this background.

“Lingering girls” by the German painter Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, also know as Louis de Marsalle. His works were also considered to be “degenerate art” by the Nazis.

I guess in terms of posing and body posture, there is still a bit for Franzi to learn from this century-old statue.

And the epic 1878 “The entry of Charles V into Antwerp” from the Austrian painter and decorator Hans Makart – for the sheer size of it.

Franzi: “Tell me, what fun parallels are there between moneys and girls?”

Monkey: “Social intelligence matters” Both monkeys and girls excel at understanding social dynamics—who’s friendly, who’s upset, and how to keep group harmony. “Learning by observation” Young monkeys and human girls alike often learn new skills simply by watching others carefully. “Strong communication skills” Whether through expressions, gestures, or language, both rely heavily on nuanced communication rather than brute force. “Curiosity drives growth” Exploration and curiosity – climbing a tree or mastering a new subject—are powerful learning tools for both. I leave it to you judge these MS Copilot generated statements.

I am not intending to confuse you but am trying to make my postings somewhat more coherent and digestible. After this visit to “Hamburger Kunsthalle,” I walked up along the shore of Außenalster” for lunch at the seafood shack, which you likely have read about in my previous posting.

There still is an evening program to be reported about and that program lead Franzi to St. Pauli, a suburb of Hamburg with a reputation known to everyone in Germany.