Influential German expressionist finally enters the art world’s spotlight

A German Expressionist painter whose career has been long overshadowed by that of her lover is getting her moment in the spotlight.

Gabriele Münter was one of the most consequential artists of the early 20th century, but her work was eclipsed by her 12-year affair with the celebrated Russian abstract painter Wassily Kandinsky, Artnet reported.

Now, an exhibition at Madrid’s Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum and a forthcoming show at the Guggenheim in New York celebrate Münter’s work on its own terms.

“When I begin to paint, it’s like leaping suddenly into deep waters, and I never know beforehand whether I will be able to swim,” Münter said in a 1958 interview.