Takeyama-san is a fascinating artist. Inspired by the not-quite perfectly geometric mediaeval town…read morearound him, he plays with shape and line in mildly abstracted prints and paintings of Rothenburg. Naturally, he creates art--especially prints--that are highly commercial. He designates the first print off the block as the "original" print, and the others to follow (with slightly less vivd colours) simply become the "prints". Rather than using numbers, he identifies "originals" with a different Hanko (red personal stamp on the front of the work). I had never seen this method of ID before, and find this charming. Some of the imagery surrounding religious figures in his more personal paintings makes compelling comment on how seriously believers take the stories. Definitely call in on a visit to Rothenburg o. d. T.

I found this funky little art gallery while walking around the lovely town of Nuremberg. I was…read moreimmediately drawn in by the gorgeous modern art in the window. The pieces here are beautiful to look at even if you aren't a serious art collector. They are open to the public from 11 am to 7 pm on Saturdays and at other times only by appointment. This gallery only sells original paintings on canvas (no repros or prints). If you can't afford an original, you can window shop for free (I did)! Hooray for modern art from exciting artists!