" Städel Museum " Peter44 © 2012. Used under a Creative Commons Attribution license

If you’re thinking about art in Germany, you’d be forgiven for assuming that it’s all about Berlin’s modern, edgy art scene. However, Frankfurt’s Städel Museum’s Beauty and Revolution exhibition goes to show that amazing art can be found throughout the country. If you’re staying in a city hotel Frankfurt, you won’t want to miss this exhibition.

The exhibition, entitled Beauty and Revolution, runs from the 20^th of February to the 26^th of May, and will highlight the art of Neoclassicism and the impulses it provided for Romanticism.

Having stayed in Frankfurt before, I’m delighted to see the exhibition is just a short distance from so many city hotels. One of my fondest memories of Frankfurt is how enthusiastic it is when it comes to cultural diversity and art appreciation, making it an ideal location for this comprehensive exhibition.

A colleague of mine was lucky enough to attend the exhibition during their recent stay in Frankfurt, and returned with glowing reviews.  He was exceptionally impressed with the works of Anton Raphael Mengs, Antonio Canova and Jean-August-Dominique Ingres, and recommended I check it out as soon as possible.

Assembling approximately one hundred works of art from 1770 to 1820, the exhibition  is displayed beautifully in the world famous Städel Museum – which, ironically, was established in 1815 – at the very end of the era it is celebrating.

Reading up on the exhibition, I noticed that the sculptures, paintings and prints have been gathered from many countries. Beauty and the Revolution has been designed in such a way as to allow the viewer to explore the decisive influence of the classic antiquity of the artists.

Struggling to create socially relevant pieces, many of the artists of the time directed their attention to the aesthetics of Greek and Roman art.

In my opinion, one of the most astounding parts of the entire exhibition must be the Antonio Canova and Bertel Thorvaldsen’s marble sculpture of the Greek goddess Hebe. Never before have the two sculptures been exhibited together, despite being often compared. If anyone manages to go see it, make sure to snap me a picture!

Beauty and the Revolution is undoubtedly a brilliantly designed exhibition and certainly worth a trip from your city hotel, Frankfurt  has many phenomenal art exhibitions; however this one is certainly a cut above the rest.