Herkomer Museum

The Herkomer Museum stands in Landsberg am Lech, a Bavarian town on the river Lech. It is devoted to Hubert von Herkomer, who lived from 1849 to 1914. He ranked among the leading portraitists of the Victorian era, and Landsberg made him an honorary citizen. His career moved between Bavaria and England, two countries and two languages.

Inside, the exhibition 'A Man of Many Parts' follows Herkomer between art and invention. He started the Herkomer Konkurrenz, the first car rally in Germany, in the early 1900s. The collection rests on a private legacy: in 1929 his widow Margaret donated buildings, artworks and personal belongings. Among them are medals, drawings, and a fan of his own design. In the drawings you meet a boy who was already a skilled artist at eight. Famous guests such as Richard Strauss and Hans Richter signed the fan.

A landscape park and a café round off the grounds, and the museum is wheelchair accessible. The tour ends at the Mutterturm, a historicist tower Herkomer built in 1884 in honour of his mother. A passage added in 1909 connects it to his former house. Wedding ceremonies take place beneath its golden roof, and much of the original interior survives.