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Welcome to the home of the virtual Reiff museum
On these web pages you find information on the collection which Franz Reiff (1835-1902), a professor of figure and landscape painting, disposed by will to the Technical University of Aachen (RWTH).
On the date of its inauguration in 1908, the Reiff museum comprised about 200 copies according to old masters from the fields of painting, graphic, sculpture and works of gypsum and models of architecture. This multi-faceted inventory was cadre for the greatest collection of copies in Germany at the end of the 19th century. First of all, these works of art served a didactic purpose as part of the education of architects and art historians. One year later, Max Schmid-Burgk, professor of art history and director of the museum, opened the museum to the public. Furthermore, the committed director initiated purchases of contemporary art which raised the reputation of the exhibitions. The zenith of the museum was ended abruptly after the beginning of the 2nd World War. With the popularization of photography, a collection of copies seemed more and more old-fashioned. In consequence of this change many works were given away, sold or stored in dark basements, where they were buried in oblivion.
To help us reconstructing the Reiff museum, we would be thankful for any kinds of hints or about adopting a work of art, perhaps even some financial support.
Have fun browsing our homepage!
Your Reiff-Team
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