Museum Raffael Becker

The Museum Raffael Becker is dedicated to the artistic legacy of Cologne painter Raffael Becker (1922-2013). Hardly any painter has devoted his art to Cologne’s city life from the immediate post-war years to the early years of the 21st century with such humour and detail. In his paintings, Becker not only dealt with the city’s history, landmarks and traditions, such as carnival, but also depicted the everyday lives of the local population in his unique way.

The art of Raffael Becker is of an enormous scope in terms of style and genre. His oeuvre comprises ink drawings just as much as brightly colourful panel paintings with collage elements and magnificent frame designs. It is inspired by medieval painting traditions as well as by almost all major currents of 20th-century art.

The museum exhibits paintings and drawings from all creative periods of Raffael Becker, small sculptural works and jewellery as well as furniture and clothes designed by the artist and his wife. Visitors of the museum may access audio files with their smartphones (via QR codes) and listen to the stories behind several paintings, told by the artist himself.