Photography showcase at Museum of Fine Arts featuring Evelyn Richter's works
The Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig (MdbK) is proud to present the exhibition "Evelyn Richter. Light in the Darkness" from July 2 to October 19, 2025. This exhibition, focusing on the late photographer Evelyn Richter's work, features a significant highlight of her final trip to Moscow in April 2012.
Evelyn Richter (1930–2021), a Dresden-based photographer, was renowned for her profound black-and-white images that captured social and cultural realities with a poetic and deeply human perspective. This exhibition sheds light on her artistic approach and her enduring engagement with moments of cultural and religious significance.
In 1957, Richter embarked on her first trip to Moscow, where she was captivated by the people she encountered in museums and exhibitions. However, photography was not allowed in the churches where she hoped to meet people during services or prayer. Fifty years later, things had changed, allowing Richter to move around early modern churches and monasteries and participate in an Easter service with official permission.
During her final trip to Moscow in April 2012, Richter documented the Orthodox Easter at the Pafnuti-Borovsk Monastery. This journey was her last visit to Moscow, and the exhibition presents this critical and evocative series of photographs to explore themes of light and darkness in her work.
Richter consciously photographed in color during her final trip to Moscow, aiming to capture the vibrant, almost painterly array of colors in the icons, elaborate priestly garments, and simple clothing of the faithful. The exhibition showcases these vibrant, colorful depictions, offering visitors a unique insight into the spirituality and cultural memory of the Orthodox Easter.
The Ostdeutsche Sparkassenstiftung acquired the collection "Light in the Dark" for the Evelyn Richter Archive at the MdbK in 2024. This body of work, selected from Richter's extensive film material, is among her last works. The exhibition brings together works from over fifty years of Richter's creative activity, providing a comprehensive overview of her career.
By showcasing these photographs, the Museum of Fine Arts not only honors Richter’s legacy but also offers viewers a glimpse into her sensitive observation of tradition and human experience during a momentous occasion in the Orthodox calendar, captured just a few years before her passing. Don't miss this opportunity to experience Richter's powerful and poignant photography, as the exhibition "Evelyn Richter. Light in the Darkness" runs until October 19, 2025.
[1] Information sourced from the Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig's official press release.
Evelyn Richter's photographic work on display at the MdbK, beginning July 2, 2025, includes her 'Light in the Dark' collection, showcasing her colorful depictions captured during her final home-and-garden and home-and-garden-related excursions, particularly the Orthodox Easter at the Pafnuti-Borovsk Monastery in Moscow, providing an exceptional glimpse into the lifestyle and cultural heritage of that moment.
At the MdbK's exhibition, one can observe a comprehensive overview of Richter's career spanning over fifty years, illuminating her profound artistic approach and enduring engagement with moments of cultural and religious significance, offering visitors a unique insight into her work and its emphasis on themes of light and darkness in her oeuvre.
