Cabinet exhibition
28.2. until 28.9.2025
Wilhelmshöhe Palace

Johann August Nahl the Younger came from the famous Nahl family of artists. After studying in France, England and Italy, he worked in Kassel from 1793, where he later became director of the art academy. He died 200 years ago.

The Old Masters Picture Gallery is dedicating a cabinet exhibition in his honor, focusing on one of his most important works: The Creation of the Red Rose. When Venus wanted to come to the aid of her beloved Adonis, she accidentally stepped on a rose thorn, whereupon the goddess's blood dyed the previously white roses red. This probably ancient story has been taken up since the Renaissance. The goddess was usually shown crouching, pulling out the thorn or being helped by Cupid.

Nahl combined the story of the creation of the red rose with the reclining or sleeping Venus type, which has also been popular since the Renaissance. The result is a reclining goddess who appears almost relaxed, even though she is performing a complicated rotation. While her upper body is turned towards the viewer, her legs are slightly crossed and her wounded leg is bent upwards so that Cupid can easily remove the thorn. Emotions or even drama have disappeared; a classicist calm prevails, which is aimed entirely at an almost sculptural evenness of the ideal female body.

The cabinet exhibition brings together all surviving versions and preliminary studies on the subject for the first time. It also includes several drawings made by Nahl's daughter Clementine. Her artistic work has been completely unknown until now.