Educators Degenerate art
Otto Baum is a German sculptor and university lecturer and member of the German Artists' Association.
He studied painting at the Stuttgart Academy of Art and sculpture at the same time. From the mid-1930s, the National Socialists who came to power in Germany forbade Baum to exhibit or even work, and he was persecuted as a representative of "degenerate art".
After the war, Otto Baum was appointed to teach at the Stuttgart Academy of Art and was regarded as the most progressive and extremely critical teacher among the young students at the academy.
Otto Baum is considered one of the most important representatives of classical modernism, who had a significant influence on European sculpture in the second half of the 20th century both through his work and as a teacher.
Karl Caspar was a German painter and graphic artist.
Caspar studied at the Art Academy in Stuttgart and the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. In 1904 he became a member of the Stuttgart Artists' Union (Stuttgarter Künstlerbund), in 1906 he joined the German Artists' Union (Deutscher Künstlerbund). In 1913 he became one of the founders of the New Munich Secession, becoming its chairman in 1919.
Karl Caspar's creative field was painting and drawing with Impressionist and Expressionist influences in various genres, from Christian subjects to the nude genre.
From 1922 to 1937, Karl Caspar was professor and then president of the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. In 1937, his works were exhibited at the Exhibition of Degenerate Art organized by the Nazis in Munich, but many of them were then withdrawn from German museums and state collections and destroyed. After the end of World War II, Karl Caspar returned to teaching: in 1948 he became one of the founders of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts, and in 1955 he became an academician of the Berlin Academy of Arts. He participated in the Venice Biennale and was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1950.
Wilhelm Heinrich Otto Dix was a German artist whose work stands as a stark, unyielding reflection of the societal tumult and trauma of the early 20th century. Born in 1891 in Untermhaus, Germany, Dix's early life was steeped in the arts, his ambition to become an artist nurtured by both familial influence and formal education in Dresden. His experiences as a soldier in World War I deeply influenced his artistic direction, leading him to vividly depict the horrors of war and the decay of the Weimar Republic with a brutal realism that became his signature style.
Dix's association with the Dada movement and the New Objectivity (Neue Sachlichkeit) further honed his critical, often cynical portrayal of post-war society. His works, such as "The Trench" and "War Cripples," expose the visceral aftermath of conflict, while his engagement with the Dadaists imbued his art with a disruptive, confrontational energy against societal norms and the art establishment.
Perhaps most notable is Dix's ability to capture the psychological depth and societal critiques through his portraits and landscapes, which ranged from the grotesque to the surreal. Paintings like "Portrait of the Journalist Sylvia von Harden" and the triptychs "Metropolis" and "War" are emblematic of his keen observation and stark depiction of the era's social and political unrest.
Despite facing significant adversity, including being labeled a degenerate artist by the Nazi regime and facing professional and personal setbacks, Dix's legacy as a painter and printmaker endures. His works are not only historical documents but also profound reflections on humanity, war, and society, resonating with collectors and art experts alike.
For enthusiasts of culture, art, and history, Dix's oeuvre offers an unflinching look into the human condition under the strain of societal and political upheaval. His contributions to painting and printmaking continue to be celebrated in museums and galleries worldwide, underscoring the enduring relevance of his work.
For those interested in exploring the profound depth and historical significance of Otto Dix's work, signing up for updates on new product sales and auction events related to his art can provide invaluable insights. This subscription is a gateway to staying informed about opportunities to engage with the tangible pieces of Dix's enduring legacy.
Heinrich Ehmsen was a German expressionist painter and graphic artist.
Coming from a poor family, Ehmsen studied at the School of Arts and Crafts in Düsseldorf, worked as a decorator and painted. Gradually, revolution became the central idea of many of his paintings. After World War I, in which he participated as a mobilized man, his reflections on the war and the failed German revolution lead him to the realization that human existence is threatened. All this is reflected in his drawings and paintings.
After a six-month internship in the south of France in 1929 Emzen moved to Berlin, and 1932-1933 years the artist spent in the USSR. His works were exhibited in Moscow, and Soviet museums acquired his paintings. With the National Socialists coming to power in Germany in 1937, Heinrich Ehmsen was condemned as a degenerate artist, and his paintings were withdrawn from German collections.
After the war, Heinrich Ehmsen worked as deputy director and head of the painting class at the Academy of Fine Arts in West Berlin, but in 1950 he moved to the Academy of Fine Arts in East Berlin. In 1961, the artist won the GDR National Prize.
Rudolf Grossmann (German: Rudolf Grossmann, or Großmann), full name Rudolf Wilhelm Walther Grossmann, was a German painter, draftsman, illustrator and graphic artist.
Born into an artistic family, Grossmann began his education in painting and printmaking at the Düsseldorf Academy before continuing his studies in Paris with Lucien Simon and Pouleroz. Among his best-known works are various portrait drawings of celebrities, notably those published in the satirical periodical Simplicissimus; he was also known for his book illustrations. Grossmann began publishing his prints in 1905, and many major publishers in Germany and France commissioned his work. He later concentrated on figurative works and urban scenes, which showed the influence of Cézanne and Pasquin.
From 1928 until Hitler's Nazi Party came to power, Grossmann taught at the Berlin Royal School of Art and was a member of the Berlin Secession and the Deutsche Kunstlerbund. In 1934, his work, like that of many of his colleagues, was stigmatized as degenerate and confiscated by the Nazi government, and he was disbarred from practicing his profession. He soon left for Freiberg im Beisgau, where he died on November 28, 1941.
Otto Hettner was a German painter, graphic artist, illustrator and sculptor.
Hettner studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Karlsruhe with Robert Petzelberger and at the Académie Julian in Paris, then lived in Florence for a year and studied again, this time at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts. In 1916 he became a member of the executive committee of the Free Secession, and the following year he became director and professor at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts, where he worked until 1927.
Otto Hettner illustrated various books for well-known publishing houses. After the artist's death, the Nazis, who came to power in Germany, considered Hettner's works degenerate, and in 1937, as part of the campaign "Degenerate Art" 15 of his works were confiscated from museums.
Willi Robert Huth was a German expressionist painter. He studied at the School of Arts and Crafts in Erfurt and Düsseldorf. During the First World War, he served as a soldier. In 1919 he began independent activities in Berlin as an artist. In the same year he joined the expressionist group Jung Erfurt.
With the onset of the Nazi regime, Huth was suppressed as an artist. Later he was even banned from holding exhibitions. Three of his works were confiscated during the "degenerate art movement." In 1944 his studio in Berlin was bombed and all his works were destroyed.
After the war Willy Robert Huth became a drawing teacher and then professor at the Academy of Applied Arts in Berlin.
Heinrich Kamps or Heinz Kamps was a German painter and director of the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts.
In 1922, Kamps first presented his work to the public by participating in an exhibition of the artists' association "Das Junge Rheinland". Soon, in 1925, he was already appointed professor at the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts, and four years later he took over the management of the State Art School in Berlin-Schöneberg.
During the Nazi "Degenerate Art" campaign in 1937, Kamps' works were confiscated and lost. In 1941 he was forced to leave for Austria and then Poland; in 1943 his Berlin studio was bombed by the Allies and almost all of his early works destroyed.
After the end of World War II, in 1946 Kamps was elected professor and director of the newly opened Düsseldorf Academy of Art, which he directed until his death.
Alexander Kanoldt was a German painter of the first half of the twentieth century. He is known as a painter, landscape and portrait painter, a representative of the New Materiality movement.
Alexander Kanoldt was one of the founders of the New Munich Art Association and the Blue Rider group. His style evolved from Neo-Impressionism to magic realism, to depicting plants, objects, landscapes and people in angular forms. During the Nazi regime, he tried to adapt to the styles in demand, but many of his works were confiscated as belonging to "degenerate art."
Kanoldt was a professor at the Berlin Academy of Art and director of the State School of Art in Berlin until his retirement in 1936.
Oskar Moll was a German post-impressionist painter.
He studied painting in Munich and Berlin, met Henri Matisse in Paris in 1907 and took part in the founding of the Matisse Academy. He later taught at the Art Academy in Düsseldorf, from where he was eventually fired and branded as a propagator of degenerate art, one of his exhibitions was also banned by the Nazis and his works confiscated.
In his paintings, Moll combined linear structures with spaces of color, creating abstract and lyrical landscapes, still lifes and portraits. Contrasting color accents and ornamental motifs enliven the paintings.
Sergius Pauser, an Austrian painter, gained international recognition in the 1930s, receiving prestigious awards such as the Carnegie Exhibition Prize in Pittsburgh. After studying architecture, he switched to painting and was influenced by Max Beckmann, Otto Dix, and Karl Hofer. However, his career was halted by the Nazi regime. Adolf Hitler personally tore down Pauser's paintings, deeming them degenerate art. Pauser was banned from exhibiting and labeled politically unreliable. He ended up in a concentration camp but was later rehabilitated and reinstated as a teacher at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. Despite controversy, he painted the official picture commemorating Austria's sovereignty.
Max Pechstein, a German Expressionist painter and printmaker, was a significant figure in the art world known for his vibrant use of color and dynamic compositions. Born in Zwickau in 1881, Pechstein's journey into the realms of expressionism began with his training as a decorator's apprentice before moving to Dresden to further his studies at the Kunstgewerbeschule. His career took a pivotal turn in 1906 when he met Erich Heckel and joined the Die Brücke group, alongside other notable artists such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, which marked the beginning of his foray into revolutionary art and expressionism.
Pechstein's art was not just confined to painting; he was also a master printmaker, with a prolific output that included 421 lithographs, 315 woodcuts and linocuts, and 165 intaglio prints, predominantly etchings. His works often depicted scenes from nature, social gatherings, and elements of primitive art, reflecting his interest in the raw and unrefined aspects of culture and humanity. This diverse body of work was recognized for its bold innovation and unique perspective, which significantly contributed to the expressionist movement.
The Nazis' rise to power in 1933 had a profound impact on Pechstein's career. His works were deemed degenerate, and he faced severe repression, including the removal of 326 of his paintings from German museums and his dismissal from his teaching position at the Preussische Akademie der Künste. Despite these challenges, Pechstein's legacy endured, and after World War II, he was reinstated to his teaching post and received numerous accolades for his contributions to art.
Pechstein's works are held in high esteem in museums and galleries worldwide. Notably, his etchings, which depicted the grim realities of war, are housed in the Imperial War Museum in London, showcasing his ability to convey profound emotional and psychological experiences through art. Additionally, his painting "Summer in Nidden," which captures the idyllic beauty of the Baltic coast, is part of the collection at the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, illustrating his love for natural landscapes and vibrant, expressive use of color.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Hermann Max Pechstein's works offer a fascinating glimpse into the early 20th-century expressionist movement, characterized by a bold exploration of color, form, and social commentary. His contributions to modern art are invaluable, providing insight into the cultural and historical context of his time.
To stay informed about new product sales and auction events related to Hermann Max Pechstein, we invite you to sign up for updates. This subscription will ensure that you are the first to know about opportunities to acquire works by this influential artist, allowing you to add to your collection of significant expressionist art.
Wilhelm Schnarrenberger was a German painter and representative of the New Objectivity movement.
Schnarrenberger studied graphics at the Munich School of Applied Arts, as well as architecture. After his studies, the artist received commissions for publications in the magazines Das Plakat or Simplicissimus as well as numerous illustrations for publishing houses. At the same time, Schnarrenberger also began to work as a painter and participated in the exhibitions of the New Munich Secession. After the Expressionist phase, his painting was replaced by an increasingly distinct style, which in 1925 became known as Neue Sachlichkeit ("New Objectivity"). In 1920, the artist was appointed to teach commercial art at the Badisches Landeschool in Karlsruhe, where he later became a professor.
As a result of the Nazis' rise to power, Schnarrenberger lost his professorship and moved to Berlin. In 1937, Wilhelm Schnarrenberger's paintings were recognized as degenerate and he was persecuted. After the end of the war, he was allowed to resume his professorship and was appointed professor at the Karlsruhe State Academy of Fine Arts. He became a member of the Badische Secession and received the Hans Thom State Prize in 1962.
Georg Scholz is a German painter and a vivid representative of the New Objectivity movement.
Scholz studied painting at the Karlsruhe Academy of Fine Arts and continued his studies in Berlin with Lovis Korint. After serving in the army in World War I from 1915 to 1918, he returned to painting in the style of Cubism and Futurism. Scholz's entry into the German Communist Party is reflected in his paintings, which sharply and sarcastically criticize the social and economic order of post-war Germany.
Georg Scholz very soon became one of the leaders of the New Realism, a group of artists who practiced the most cynical form of realism. In 1925 he received a professorship at the State Academy of Art in Karlsruhe. In 1926 he began collaborating with the satirical magazine Simplicissimus, and in 1928 he visited Paris.
After Hitler and the National Socialists came to power in Germany in 1933, Scholz immediately lost his teaching job. His work was declared degenerate art, his works were withdrawn from collections in 1937, and the artist himself was banned from painting in 1939.
William Straube, full name William Carl Johannes Bertram Straube, was a German expressionist painter and painting teacher.
Straube acquired his expressive style as a student at Henri Matisse's academy in Paris in 1908-1911, then his studies at the Stuttgart Academy enriched and intensified this style. Straube belonged to the artistic circle of the Rhenish Expressionists, formed around 1910 around August Macke. This time was characterized by the struggle between the French avant-garde and the emerging modernism in Germany.
During the Nazi campaign against degenerate art in 1937, several of Straube's paintings were confiscated and destroyed.
Straube was a member of the Association of German Artists and was a lifelong teacher of drawing.