Raimund Thomas founded the Galerie Thomas in 1964 in Munich’s revered Maximilianstrasse. The gallery has presented pioneering exhibitions of German expressionism and classical modernism.
The gallery’s program has been linked to the likes of Wassily Kandinsky and August Macke, as well as such stalwarts of German expressionism as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Otto Mueller, Emil Nolde, and Max Pechstein. The Gallery was also closely associated with the Bauhaus movement, representing the likes of Paul Klee and Oskar Schlemmer.
In the 1980s, Thomas was among the first German dealers to show American Pop art. Tom Wesselmann and Cy Twombly are just two artists who enjoyed successful shows at the gallery. Members of the emerging ‘Neuen Wilden’ collective, spearheaded by Gerhard Richter and Markus Lüpertz were also promoted by the gallery.
In anticipation of TEFAF Maastricht, artnet News sat down with gallery director Heike Grossmann.
How may times have you exhibited at TEFAF?
Galerie Thomas debuted at TEFAF in 1998.
What are you showing at the fair?
Twenty years after the first edition of the MASTERPIECES exhibition, Galerie Thomas is pleased to present the fifth edition of the cycle in Maastricht in 2015. The show MASTERPIECES includes highest quality works of German expressionism and classic modern art by Max Beckmann, Alexej von Jawlensky, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Fernand Léger, Emil Nolde, Pablo Picasso, and Chaim Soutine. After presenting the selection primarily at TEFAF, the exhibition will be on show at Galerie Thomas from March 26 onwards. As usual, the exhibition will be accompanied by an elaborate catalogue.
Can you divulge which of your pieces is of particular importance?
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s Portrait of Leon Schames.
TEFAF is known for its excellent, extensive vetting process. How do you choose which artworks to bring?
We put every effort into bringing the best of the best. Our goal is to always meet our clients high standards.
TEFAF beautifully juxtaposes Old Masters with contemporary pieces—what part of the fair would you recommend most for visitors?
Most of our clients come for classic modern, but TEFAF makes the fair so attractive for a wide range of collectors specializing in different areas.