Female Voices in Art: Lisanne Wepler, Art Historian and Research Assistant at the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

Lisanne Wepler (b. 1980, Bad Hersfeld, Germany) studied art history and German philology in Kassel, Germany. She completed her dissertation Bilderzählungen in der Vogelmalerei des niederländischen Barocks at the University of Bonn, Germany, in 2013 (published in 2014, at Imhof Peterberg). Subsequently she worked as junior curator at the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum in Braunschweig (2013-2015). From 2015 to 2020 she did research on animal fables in art as a postdoc at Leiden University. This research resulted in a book, entitled Tierfabeln von Äsop bis La Fontaine in Gemäldeserien seit 1600 (Imhof Petersberg 2021). Presently, her work involves both Contemporary Art as well as works by the Old Masters. As a research assistant, she is involved in the second edition of the Rijksmuseum's catalogue of paintings, first published in2007. In addition to her academic work, since two years, Lisanne has also been engaged in print making . Since February 2021 she runs her company drukdrukpaint , which is also the name of an artists’ collective Lisanne is part of. The collective shares a studio for printing and painting.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

As an art historian, I find it exciting to get to know not only theory but also the practice of art production. This way you can better understand what you are seeing.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I always enjoy working with Carla and experience her thunderous temperament in a moment of complete and most creative silence.

Do you have a favourite artist?

There are too many fascinating painters and graphic artists to pick one or one ... At the moment I'm also fascinated by prints. In the manufacturing process it is the total opposite of the lightness of Japanese ink paintings – that I also adore – and yet both expressive possibilities are combined in the effect of black on white (to name the two extreme points of the scale). The etching offers endless possibilities to create spatial depth, and with Japanese paintings it is inspiring to see how an artist depicts movement and the essence of a form with as few brushstrokes as possible.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My grandfather drew a bird consisting of only circles with a very soft green Faber-Castell pencil (surely 6 B) on a yellowish sheet of paper that stank of paint thinner.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

No, I like to think about human beings in the art world rather than of men and women.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a dress by Claes Iversen. It is a funny design. It looks very classy at first glance - which it undoubtedly is, but this impression is created by the details that the designer has taken from the hardware store range: keys, washers, hinges, screw nuts, etc. decorate the - therefore also very heavy - dress.

What impact has the current health crisis had on your daily practice?

I really enjoyed being able to finish my book with full concentration on only this task. Personally, I noticed how flexible you can be and how quickly plans can change - and how little that matters often and opens up new ways. In the end, everyone had to get along with it, which created a sense of unity. I found that liberating and inspiring.

Has it changed your views on Art?

It made it even clearer how much art can heal and how existential it is.

Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?

Several months ago we founded an artist collective drukdrukpaint . Together we rent a studio and we would like to exhibit our work and give workshops in printing techniques. You learn a lot from each other and stimulate each other while making art and thinking about how you can change and improve things.