SŁAWOMIR ELSNER

For the exhibition “In the Face of Humanity – Sławomir Elsner / Albrecht Dürer” at the Zwinger in Dresden, Sławomir Elsner presents a remarkable contemporary response to one of Albrecht Dürer’s early masterpieces. Known for his distinctive coloured-pencil drawings, the Berlin-based artist engages in a dialogue with art history through works that transform historical paintings into luminous fields of colour and perception. At the centre of the exhibition is Dürer’s “The Seven Sorrows of the Virgin” (1495/96), whose original central image is no longer part of the Dresden ensemble. Elsner addresses this absence with a new drawing based on Dürer’s “Virgin Mary as the Mother of Sorrows”, creating a powerful encounter between past and present. Rather than reconstructing the lost centre, Elsner offers an independent interpretation: through countless layers of coloured-pencil hatching, Mary emerges in radiant tones that contrast with Dürer’s earthy palette. Suspended between abstraction and figuration, she appears almost weightless, transforming the image of sorrow into one of transcendence. The exhibition highlights Elsner’s unique ability to renew our view of canonical works while affirming the enduring relevance of historical images today.

23 May 2026 – 30 August 2026