In November 2013, the Museum Rietberg seized a unique opportunity to purchase a superb collection of lutes amassed by the successful illustrator and commercial artist, Bengt Fosshag of Rüsselsheim in Germany. The acquisition was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Rietberg Circle.
The exhibition will show about eighty of the finest instruments in the Fosshag Collection. Artfully carved in wood, the lutes are around a hundred years old, although one or two are even older. The exhibition will also feature selected music samples such as songs with a lute accompaniment as well as background information on the manufacture and use of these instruments. Visitors can therefore look forward to some magnificent sculpting with intricate carving and an exceptionally wide range of forms as well as a wealth of fascinating stories and melodies.
The exhibition will also offer a global take on the history of music. After all, the lute is thought to have originated in Persia before spreading throughout Asia and via the Mediterranean region to Africa and Europe.
