Bella Italia

"Do you know the land where the lemons bloom ..." - This famous line from Goethe's novel "Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre" begins the poem "Mignon", which is regarded in German literature as a symbol of the longing for Italy. Mignon's lament about the lost paradise in the south became a cultural cipher for generations of artists who sought an ideal of beauty, harmony and spiritual home in Italy.
Goethe's own "Italian Journey" (1786-1788) forms the historical starting point for this longing for Italy, which is still relevant today. For Goethe, Italy was not a travel destination, but an aesthetic promise - a school of seeing and recognising that touched art and life in equal measure.
In the new special exhibition "Bella Italia - The land where the lemons bloom", the Museum Weißes Schloss Heroldsberg is dedicated to the artistic exploration of Italy as a place of inspiration and the longing for Italy founded by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. From the 18th century to the present day, German artists' longing for Italy takes centre stage - with a special focus on works from the Nuremberg region.
Over 25 artists show how Italy has served as an artistic vanishing point, source of light and projection surface for generations. Whether in drawing, painting, photography or object art - Italy appears as an inner image, as a travelling experience, as a cultural mirror.
Historical works by artists such as Albrecht Dürer, August Christian Geist, Johann Georg Perlberg, Albert Maurer and Markus Tuscher are juxtaposed with works from the 20th century - including by Fritz Griebel, Georg Hetzelein, Hanna Höch, Eitel Klein, Oskar Koller, Emil Scheidig and Johanna Schwarze - and contemporary contributions by Ilse Feiner, Nina Heinlein, Marie Therese Heublein, Gerald Hoffmann, Margit Hüttner, Ralf Kunstmann, Evgeniia Mehkova, Andreas Perlick, Ulrike Pichl and Christa Stauber.
The works come from the museum's own holdings as well as from important public and private collections. Lenders include the Art Collections of the City of Nuremberg, the Kunstvilla Nürnberg, the Stadtmuseum Amberg, the Jacobsa Gallery and the Gallery with the Blue Door.

Last edited on 27.10.2025