Around the World in 80 Dresses

I spent my last Indian summer day at Frankfurt's newly refurbished Altstadt , the medieval town centre. The round square in front of the Römer , the 600 years old city hall and the surrounding timber-framed houses are restored to their former picturesque beauty. From there it is a short walk to the river banks of the Main with their subtropical park on one side and the string of museums on the left bank. © Städel Museum At Frankfurt`s main art gallery, the Städel  I had a surprise encounter with Lotte Laserstein. The Berlin based Jewish painter had one great subject, the new woman, the independant city girl of the twenties hatching out of the protective cocoon the Belle Epoque had kept her in. Lotte's bold portraits remindend me of another German born lady painter I greatly cherish, of Irma Stern from Cape Town (see post March 20, 2018). I felt elated in the company of this Damengesellschaft / ladies gathering, a name the museum cleverly attributes to the...

Her Jewish family emigrated from pre-war Germany to South Africa where she became one of the best known painters of her time. The elegant lady with the flower bouquet on Irma Stern’s aquarelle reminds me of my mother’s Berlin youth when all the office girls wore gloves and every season a new hat. In our more casual times you have to dress up to match. I chose powdery pink accessories and a light grey tulle skirt from Naf Naf , France to be on par with Irma’s lady. © Irma Stern Museum, Cape Town irmastern . co.za Irma Stern was one of the first artists from South Africa to travel to other African countries. Her portraits of African women and Middle Eastern merchants made her famous.  © Irma Stern Museum, Cape Town   irmastern . co.za