Thomas Struth’s “Museum Photographs” is a landmark series that captures the “inner rhythm” of the viewer’s encounter with art. In these 17 large-format color plates, Struth removes the “fate of fame” from iconic masterpieces by documenting the contemporary crowds that surround them. The photographs, taken between 1989 and 1992, serve as a psychological study of the social ritual of museum-going, merging the historical time of the painting with the immediate time of the spectator. This edition includes a significant essay by renowned art historian Hans Belting, which explores the complex socio-cultural perception of art in public spaces.
