Porträts von Tilla Durieux

The large number of portraits of the actress Tilla Durieux gained her the reputation as “most-painted woman of her epoch“. Even though portraits of actors were quite popular in the early 20th century, Durieux’ portraits stand out as an exception. The famous Berlin art dealer Paul Cassirer, her second husband, contributed a great deal to her status as “cult model“ among artists. Durieux’ numerous female and male portraitists were strongly influenced by the current images of femininity such as femme fatale, “Neue Frau“, exotic and socialite. The interdisciplinary thesis is in addition to this pictorial staging by the artists also dedicated to the question of the actress’ utilisation of her portraits for the purpose of self-staging.