Hidden Portraits: Alte Meister – Neuer Blick

A game of concealment and revelation, both near and far, a dialogue between the eye and time. Volker Hermes captivates us with his works. Portraits of men and women, painted by great masters, are obscured with masks, fabrics, wigs, collars, and chains. Hermes plays with old symbols and messages, with textures and materials, literally breaking chains and rigid collars. Through digital interventions, a completely new perspective and interpretation emerges for the contemporary eye. These unique portraits invite viewers to explore the hidden codes of the past – the symbols of self-representation and social status through fashion and accessories. But Hermes goes further, overlaying the messages of our time with a contemporary perspective, respect for the created, and a touch of humor over those of antiquity, the Renaissance, and Dutch painting. This book is not only a tribute to the art of the past but also an expression of the eternal search for identity and self-expression.

"Volker Hermes' portraits are grand theater! Absurd theater! Joy and shock! With every disguise and concealment, the portrayed become more naked. Like children who cover their eyes and shout 'I am not here!' we see them all the more clearly in their touching, profoundly human vulnerability."

Fritzi Haberlandt.