DOCSLIB.ORG

Lovis Corinth „Bacchant“

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Lovis Corinth „Bacchant“ Lovis Corinth „Bacchant“ 228 Lovis Corinth From our auction „19th Century Art“, 27 November 2019, 3 p.m. Lovis Corinth Tapiau/Ostpreußen 1858 – 1925 Zandvoort Marie-Amélie zu Salm-Salm: Lovis „Bacchant“. 1913 Corinth, Painter of Sensual Worlds Tempera on canvas. 228,5 × 110 cm. (90 × 43 ¼ in.) Sig- ned and dated lower right: LOVIS CORINTH 1913. With At the apex of his career, in late 1913 and early 1914, Lovis two labels from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Corinth painted a set of eleven wall panels, of which this on the stretcher. Catalogue raisonné: Berend- Bacchant forms part. The project had been commissioned Corinth/Hernad 568. Small, repaired tear. [3208] by Ludwig Katzenellenbogen (1880–1944) and his wife Estel- Framed la for their country villa in Freienhagen to the north of Ber- lin. A prominent Jewish industrialist, Katzenellenbogen had Provenance already made a name for himself as a collector of works by Ludwig Katzenellenbogen, Freienhagen / Estella Kat- the French Impressionists and the Berlin Secessionists. He zenellenbogen, Berlin/Los Angeles (from 1930 until 1991; had hired Corinth at the prompting of gallery owner Paul 1958 on commission at Alexander Gebhardt, Munich, la- Cassirer, who in early 1913 had organized a Corinth exhibiti- ter on loan to Los Angeles County Museum of Art) / art on in Berlin featuring 228 paintings, the most comprehensi- dealership, Aachen / Private Collection, North Rhine- ve ever to be held during the artist’s lifetime. Although Westphalia (1996) / Private Collection, Lower Saxony Corinth and his patron had originally discussed decorating the Villa’s formal dining room with landscape motifs, what the artist ultimately delivered – probably without prior EUR 100.000–150.000 consultation with his client – was a finished cycle of large USD 110,000–165,000 wall paintings depicting scenes of combat and Dionysian revelry inspired by Homer’s “Odyssey” and Ludovico Arios- Exhibition to’s “Orlando Furioso.” Berlin, Berliner Secession, 1916, Cat.-No. 52 / Catalogue In addressing topics that concerned the very existence of the 32nd Exhibition of the Berlin Secession, Lovis Co- of man, Corinth repeatedly drew inspiration from classic rinth. Berlin, Secessionshaus, 1918, Cat.-No. 87, w. ill. / motifs, which he derived from Greek mythology, Christian Lovis Corinth, Ausstellung von Gemälden und Aquarellen iconography or literary works. This genre occupies a promi- zu seinem Gedächtnis. Berlin, Nationalgalerie, 1926, nent position within his oeuvre and bears witness to his Cat.-No. 240 („Weinbekränzter Bacchus“) / Lovis Co- intention to treat traditional themes in a manner that was rinth. Zum hundertsten Geburtstag. Bremen, Kunsthalle, new and provocative in terms of both composition and 1958, Cat.-No. 34 / Mysterium Wein. Die Götter, der imagery. A multi-talented painter and graphic artist who Wein und die Kunst. Speyer, Historisches Museum der could shuttle nimbly back and forth between differing sub- Pfalz, 1996, p. 276, w. ill. jects, painting techniques, and compositional approaches, Corinth managed to find an original solution for the wall- panel project as well. The cycle stands out from the artist’s oeuvre for its conspicuously draftsmanlike painting techni- que. Also notable is the range of colors used, which tend to be rather strident. One explanation for these technical choices is the artist’s use of tempera, which, unlike oil paint, must be applied in short strokes and in multiple, overlapping layers. Lovis Corinth, who had come to be known as a “baroque painter” and depicter of sensual worlds, had become fasci- nated with Dionysian themes as early as the 1890s. At least part of their appeal for him was their power to express the inner world of the psyche. And so the Bacchant, who appears in Corinth’s works in several variations, can be seen as a metaphor for human beings succumbing to intoxi- cation and uninhibited celebration to the point of excess. In this symbolically charged work from 1913, Lovis Corinth depicts a wildly dancing votary of Bacchus who, just like the god himself, wears a leopardskin loincloth. A wreath of grapes encircles his head. He swings a tam- bourine in one hand; in the other, the socalled “Thyrsus” staff, an attribute of the deity and his acolytes. At the feet of the Bacchant lies a leopard, an embodiment of male prowess but also a symbol of debauchery and sinful excess. Fasanenstraße 25, 10719 Berlin +49 30 885915 0, [email protected] grisebach.com 228 Lovis Corinth From our auction „19th Century Art“, 27 November 2019, 3 p.m. One is reminded of how the philosopher Friedrich Nietz- sche (1844-1900) juxtaposed the vital, frenzied figure of Dionysius with the aesthetically composed and contempla- tive figure of Apollo as the twin forces guiding human exis- tence. Corinth’s wall panels, including our Bacchant, were destined to grace the Katzenellenbogen Villa only for a short time. In 1929, the industrialist obtained a divorce in order to marry the nubile actress Tilla Durieux, who had previously been in a relationship with Paul Cassirer. As a result, his first wife Estella was awarded half of the couple’s art collection, which included the wall panels. When Estella and her children emigrated to the United States in 1939 to flee the Nazis, she had the works stored in Amsterdam, eventually bringing them to the United States after the Second World War had ended. The Bacchant and his female counterpart, the Bacchantin, were later transferred to the Los Angeles County Museum, the former as a loaned work and the latter as a donation. Six of the other panels were acquired by the Berlinische Galerie in 1980. As of yet, no information has become publicly available regarding the whereabouts of the cycle’s three remaining paintings. Fasanenstraße 25, 10719 Berlin +49 30 885915 0, [email protected] grisebach.com .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Moments in Time: Lithographs from the HWS Art Collection
    IN TIME LITHOGRAPHS FROM THE HWS ART COLLECTION PATRICIA MATHEWS KATHRYN VAUGHN ESSAYS BY: SARA GREENLEAF TIMOTHY STARR ‘08 DIANA HAYDOCK ‘09 ANNA WAGER ‘09 BARRY SAMAHA ‘10 EMILY SAROKIN ‘10 GRAPHIC DESIGN BY: ANNE WAKEMAN ‘09 PHOTOGRAPHY BY: LAUREN LONG HOBART & WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES 2009 MOMENTS IN TIME: LITHOGRAPHS FROM THE HWS ART COLLECTION HIS EXHIBITION IS THE FIRST IN A SERIES INTENDED TO HIGHLIGHT THE HOBART AND WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES ART COLLECTION. THE ART COLLECTION OF HOBART TAND WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES IS FOUNDED ON THE BELIEF THAT THE STUDY AND APPRECIATION OF ORIGINAL WORKS OF ART IS AN INDISPENSABLE PART OF A LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION. IN LIGHT OF THIS EDUCATIONAL MISSION, WE OFFERED AN INTERNSHIP FOR ONE-HALF CREDIT TO STUDENTS OF HIGH STANDING TO RESEARCH AND WRITE THE CATALOGUE ENTRIES, UNDER OUR SUPERVISION, FOR EACH OBJECT IN THE EXHIBITION. THIS GAVE STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN MUSEUM PRACTICE AS WELL AS TO ADD A PUBLICATION FOR THEIR RÉSUMÉ. FOR THIS FIRST EXHIBITION, WE HAVE CHOSEN TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE MORE IMPORTANT ARTISTS IN OUR LARGE COLLECTION OF LITHOGRAPHS AS WELL AS TO HIGHLIGHT A PRINT MEDIUM THAT PLAYED AN INFLUENTIAL ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND DISSEMINATION OF MODERN ART. OUR PRINT COLLECTION IS THE RICHEST AREA OF THE HWS COLLECTION, AND THIS EXHIBITION GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF OUR MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS. ROBERT NORTH HAS BEEN ESPECIALLY GENER- OUS. IN THIS SMALL EXHIBITION ALONE, HE HAS DONATED, AMONG OTHERS, WORKS OF THE WELL-KNOWN ARTISTS ROMARE BEARDEN, GEORGE BELLOWS OF WHICH WE HAVE TWELVE, AND THOMAS HART BENTON – THE GREAT REGIONALIST ARTIST AND TEACHER OF JACKSON POLLOCK.
    [Show full text]
  • Cassirer Collection, 1906-1933
    http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf538nb0pb No online items Guide to the Cassirer collection, 1906-1933 Department of Special Collections Green Library Stanford University Libraries Stanford, CA 94305-6004 Phone: (650) 725-1022 Email: [email protected] URL: http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/spc/ © 1999 The Board of Trustees of Stanford University. All rights reserved. Guide to the Cassirer collection, Special Collections M0287 1 1906-1933 Guide to the Cassirer collection, 1906-1933 Collection number: M0287 Department of Special Collections and University Archives Stanford University Libraries Stanford, California Contact Information Department of Special Collections Green Library Stanford University Libraries Stanford, CA 94305-6004 Phone: (650) 725-1022 Email: [email protected] URL: http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/spc/ Processed by: Special Collections staff Date Completed: 1986 © 1999 The Board of Trustees of Stanford University. All rights reserved. Descriptive Summary Title: Cassirer collection, Date (inclusive): 1906-1933 Collection number: Special Collections M0287 Creator: Cassirer, Bruno.Cassirer, Paul, 1871-1926. Extent: .5 linear ft. Repository: Stanford University. Libraries. Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives. Language: English. Access Restrictions None. Publication Rights Property rights reside with the repository. Literary rights reside with the creators of the documents or their heirs. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Public Services Librarian of the Dept. of Special Collections. Provenance l. Bruno Cassirer Verlag papers, gifts of George Hill, 1979, 1980, and Peter Paret, 1986. 2. Paul Cassirer Verlag papers and Paul Cassirer papers, gifts of Peter Paret, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, and 1986. Preferred Citation: [Identification of item] Cassirer collection, M0287, Dept.
    [Show full text]
  • Julius S. Held Papers, Ca
    http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt3g50355c No online items Finding aid for the Julius S. Held papers, ca. 1921-1999 Isabella Zuralski. Finding aid for the Julius S. Held 990056 1 papers, ca. 1921-1999 Descriptive Summary Title: Julius S. Held papers Date (inclusive): ca. 1918-1999 Number: 990056 Creator/Collector: Held, Julius S (Julius Samuel) Physical Description: 168 box(es)(ca. 70 lin. ft.) Repository: The Getty Research Institute Special Collections 1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100 Los Angeles 90049-1688 [email protected] URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10020/askref (310) 440-7390 Abstract: Research papers of Julius Samuel Held, American art historian renowned for his scholarship in 16th- and 17th-century Dutch and Flemish art, expert on Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, and Rembrandt. The ca. 70 linear feet of material, dating from the mid-1920s to 1999, includes correspondence, research material for Held's writings and his teaching and lecturing activities, with extensive travel notes. Well documented is Held's advisory role in building the collection of the Museo de Arte de Ponce in Puerto Rico. A significant portion of the ca. 29 linear feet of study photographs documents Flemish and Dutch artists from the 15th to the 17th century. Request Materials: Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the catalog record for this collection. Click here for the access policy . Language: Collection material is in English Biographical / Historical Note The art historian Julius Samuel Held is considered one of the foremost authorities on the works of Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, and Rembrandt.
    [Show full text]
  • The Life and Times of the Berlin Secession Podcast
    Lindenwood University Digital Commons@Lindenwood University Theses Theses & Dissertations Spring 5-2021 The Life and Times of the Berlin Secession Podcast Chris Kitamura Lindenwood University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/theses Part of the Classical Archaeology and Art History Commons Recommended Citation Kitamura, Chris, "The Life and Times of the Berlin Secession Podcast" (2021). Theses. 7. https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/theses/7 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses & Dissertations at Digital Commons@Lindenwood University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Lindenwood University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Lindenwood University School of Arts, Media, and Communications THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE BERLIN SECESSION PODCAST by Chris Kitamura Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master Arts in Art History At Lindenwood University May 2021, Christopher Kitamura The author hereby grants Lindenwood University permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic thesis copies of document in whole or in part in any medium now known or hereafter created. 2 2 Chris Kitamura______________________________________________4/22/21 Author Kelly Scheffer _________________________________________________ Committee chair Dr. Piper Hutson__________________________________________________4/27/2021 Committee member 4/27/21 Clayton
    [Show full text]
  • A Comparative Analysis of Artist Prints and Print Collecting at the Imperial War Museum and Australian War M
    Bold Impressions: A Comparative Analysis of Artist Prints and Print Collecting at the Imperial War Museum and Australian War Memorial Alexandra Fae Walton A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the Australian National University, June 2017. © Copyright by Alexandra Fae Walton, 2017 DECLARATION PAGE I declare that this thesis has been composed solely by myself and that it has not been submitted, in whole or in part, in any previous application for a degree. Except where stated otherwise by reference or acknowledgement, the work presented is entirely my own. Acknowledgements I was inspired to write about the two print collections while working in the Art Section at the Australian War Memorial. The many striking and varied prints in that collection made me wonder about their place in that museum – it being such a special yet conservative institution in the minds of many Australians. The prints themselves always sustained my interest in the topic, but I was also fortunate to have guidance and assistance from a number of people during my research, and to make new friends. Firstly, I would like to say thank you to my supervisors: Dr Peter Londey who gave such helpful advice on all my chapters, and who saw me through the final year of the PhD; Dr Kylie Message who guided and supported me for the bulk of the project; Dr Caroline Turner who gave excellent feedback on chapters and my final oral presentation; and also Dr Sarah Scott and Roger Butler who gave good advice from a prints perspective. Thank you to Professor Joan Beaumont, Professor Helen Ennis and Professor Diane Davis from the Australian National University (ANU) for making the time to discuss my thesis with me, and for their advice.
    [Show full text]
  • Portraits of Sculptors in Modernism
    Konstvetenskapliga institutionen Portraits of Sculptors in Modernism Författare: Olga Grinchtein © Handledare: Karin Wahlberg Liljeström Påbyggnadskurs (C) i konstvetenskap Vårterminen 2021 ABSTRACT Institution/Ämne Uppsala universitet. Konstvetenskapliga institutionen, Konstvetenskap Författare Olga Grinchtein Titel och undertitel: Portraits of Sculptors in Modernism Engelsk titel: Portraits of Sculptors in Modernism Handledare Karin Wahlberg Liljeström Ventileringstermin: Höstterm. (år) Vårterm. (år) Sommartermin (år) 2021 The portrait of sculptor emerged in the sixteenth century, where the sitter’s occupation was indicated by his holding a statue. This thesis has focus on portraits of sculptors at the turn of 1900, which have indications of profession. 60 artworks created between 1872 and 1927 are analyzed. The goal of the thesis is to identify new facets that modernism introduced to the portraits of sculptors. The thesis covers the evolution of artistic convention in the depiction of sculptor. The comparison of portraits at the turn of 1900 with portraits of sculptors from previous epochs is included. The thesis is also a contribution to the bibliography of portraits of sculptors. 2 Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor Karin Wahlberg Liljeström for her help and advice. I also thank Linda Hinners for providing information about Annie Bergman’s portrait of Gertrud Linnea Sprinchorn. I would like to thank my mother for supporting my interest in art history. 3 Table of Contents 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Vincent Van Gogh
    VINCENT VAN GOGH Le Moulin d’Alphonse Daudet à Fontvieille, June 1888 VINCENT VAN GOGH Le Moulin d’Alphonse Daudet à Fontvieille, June 1888 1. VINCENT VAN GOGH Le Moulin d’Alphonse Daudet à Fontvieille, June 1888 dickinson 2. dickinson 4. dickinson VINCENT VAN GOGH Le Moulin d’Alphonse Daudet à Fontvieille, June 1888 5. VINCENT VAN GOGH Le Moulin d’Alphonse Daudet à Fontvieille, June 1888 With inscriptions by J.H. de Bois, verso lower right aquarelle de Vincent van Gogh provenant de la collection de son frère, Theo van Gogh, et garantie aussi par nous. La Haye Dec. 1912, Artz de Bois and verso upper right, in pencil Cat 7/711; inscription by Johanna van Gogh Bonger, verso upper left no 5; and inscription in an unidentified hand, verso lower left A19/2224. Reed pen and watercolour on wove paper, with traces of underdrawing in pencil 30.2 x 49 cm. (11 4/5 x 19 ¼ in.) PROVENANCE Theo van Gogh, Paris, 1890-91, and thence to Johanna van Gogh Bonger (1891 – 1912), Paris and Amsterdam. Erich Schall, Berlin, acquired from the above in Dec. 1912 (for 2000 Guilders). Dr Heinrich Stinnes (1867 – 1932), Cologne-Lindenthal. Private Collection, Germany. Anon. sale; Galerie Wolfgang Ketterer, Munich, 29 Nov. 1976, lot 1034 (as dated September 1888). Dr Peter Nathan (1925 – 2001), Zurich, acquired at the above sale. Hazlitt, Gooden & Fox, London. Private Collection, acquired from the above. LITERATURE List written by Johanna van Gogh Bonger with 52 drawings sent to Ambroise Vollard, including 12 watercolours from the French period, 1896, no.
    [Show full text]
  • Van Gogh Museum Journal 1995
    Van Gogh Museum Journal 1995 bron Van Gogh Museum Journal 1995. Waanders, Zwolle 1995 Zie voor verantwoording: http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/_van012199501_01/colofon.php © 2012 dbnl / Rijksmuseum Vincent Van Gogh 6 Director's Foreword The Van Gogh Museum shortly after its opening in 1973 For those of us who experienced the foundation of the Van Gogh Museum at first hand, it may come as a shock to discover that over 20 years have passed since Her Majesty Queen Juliana officially opened the Museum on 2 June 1973. For a younger generation, it is perhaps surprising to discover that the institution is in fact so young. Indeed, it is remarkable that in such a short period of time the Museum has been able to create its own specific niche in both the Dutch and international art worlds. This first issue of the Van Gogh Museum Journal marks the passage of the Rijksmuseum (National Museum) Vincent van Gogh to its new status as Stichting Van Gogh Museum (Foundation Van Gogh Museum). The publication is designed to both report on the Museum's activities and, more particularly, to be a motor and repository for the scholarship on the work of Van Gogh and aspects of the permanent collection in broader context. Besides articles on individual works or groups of objects from both the Van Gogh Museum's collection and the collection of the Museum Mesdag, the Journal will publish the acquisitions of the previous year. Scholars not only from the Museum but from all over the world are and will be invited to submit their contributions.
    [Show full text]
  • MAKING VAN GOGH a GERMAN LOVE STORY 23 OCTOBER 2019 to 16 FEBRUARY 2020 Städel Museum, Garden Halls
    WALL TEXTS MAKING VAN GOGH A GERMAN LOVE STORY 23 OCTOBER 2019 TO 16 FEBRUARY 2020 Städel Museum, Garden Halls INTRODUCTION With the exhibition “MAKING VAN GOGH: A German Love Story”, the Städel Museum is devoting itself to one of the most well-known artists of all times and his special relationship to Germany. Particularly in this country, Vincent van Gogh’s works have been greatly appreciated since his death. Thanks to the dedication of gallerists, collectors, critics and museum directors, the Dutch artist came to be known here as one of the early twentieth century’s most important pioneers of modern painting. Numerous private collectors and museums purchased his works. By 1914, there were some 150 works by Van Gogh in German collections. The show is an endeavour to get to the bottom of this phenomenon. How did Van Gogh manage to attain such tremendous popularity before World War I in Germany, of all places? Who promoted his art? How did German artists react to him soon after the turn of the century? The exhibition takes a closer look at these matters in three main sections that shed light on the emergence of the legend surrounding Vincent van Gogh as a person, his influence on the German art world, and finally the exceptional painting style that held such a strong fascination for many of his followers. IMPACT The growing presence of Van Gogh’s works in exhibitions and collections in Germany also had an impact on the artists here. Many of them reacted enthusiastically to their encounters with his paintings and drawings.
    [Show full text]
  • The National Gallery Immunity from Seizure
    Immunity from Seizure THE NATIONAL GALLERY IMMUNITY FROM SEIZURE Delacroix and the Rise of Modern Art 17 Feb 2016 - 22 May 2016 The National Gallery, London, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN Immunity from Seizure IMMUNITY FROM SEIZURE Delacroix and the Rise of Modern Art 17 Feb 2016 - 22 May 2016 The National Gallery, London, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN The National Gallery is able to provide immunity from seizure under part 6 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007. This Act provides protection from seizure for cultural objects from abroad on loan to temporary exhibitions in approved museums and galleries in the UK. The conditions are: The object is usually kept outside the UK It is not owned by a person resident in the UK Its import does not contravene any import regulations It is brought to the UK for public display in a temporary exhibition at a museum or gallery The borrowing museum or gallery is approved under the Act The borrowing museum has published information about the object For further enquiries, please contact [email protected] Protection under the Act is sought for the objects listed in this document, which are intended to form part of the forthcoming exhibition, Delacroix and the Rise of Modern Art. Copyright Notice: no images from these pages should be reproduced without permission. Immunity from Seizure Delacroix and the Rise of Modern Art 17 Feb 2016 - 22 May 2016 Protection under the Act is sought for the objects listed below: Eugène Delacroix (1798 - 1863) © The Art Institute of Chicago,
    [Show full text]
  • National Gallery of Art
    National Gallery of Art FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Deborah Ziska, April 30, 2001 Press and Public Information Officer MEDIA CONTACT: Lisa Knapp, publicist (202) 842-6804 /-/<[email protected]/ "SPIRIT OF AN AGE" PRESENTS MAJOR 19TH-CENTURY GERMAN PAINTINGS SURVEY FROM ROMANTICISM TO EXPRESSIONISM OPENS JUNE 10 AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART Washington, D.C.-One of the most significant presentations, in terms of range and quality, of 19th-century German painting ever to be shown in the United States will be on view at the National Gallery of Art, East Building, June 10 through September 3, 2001. Spirit of an Age: Nineteenth-Century Paintings from the Nationalgalerie, Berlin provides a survey of 19th-century German painting, and a history of Germany itself, through 75 of the finest works by 35 artists from the collection of the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), Berlin. The museum, which opened in 1876 to house the Prussian king's collection of paintings and sculpture, is currently closed for renovations as part of a larger reorganization of all Berlin's museums. In December 2001, when the museum reopens, it will display for the first time since 1939 the complete collection of work for which it was built. ("aspai David I-nednch mm ill//if ll'uulm. 182: The exhibition is made possible by the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation. "This enlightening exhibition offers American audiences the unique opportunity to study the works of important German painters who are rarely represented in North American collections," said Earl A. Powell III, director, National Gallery of Art, Washington.
    [Show full text]
  • Transgressing National Borders and Artistic Styles
    ISABEL WÜNSCHE Transgressing National Borders and Artistic Styles The November Group and the International Avant-Garde in Berlin during the Interwar Period The discourse on the avant-garde, particularly in the English-speaking academic world, has traditionally focused on Paris prior to the Second World War and New York in the post-war period. More recent studies on the avant-garde movements in Central and Eastern Europe have opened up the field to a broader discourse and taken a more diversified look at the European avant-garde.1 One of the most vibrant centres of the international avant-gardes during the interwar period was Berlin. A dynamic metropolis, fraught with political as well as social tensions, the city’s social space inspired the artistic production of the avant- garde and shaped cultural exchanges between East and West. The city also provided a home for a large cultural and artistic diaspora; the artists active in Berlin in the 1920s included Alexander Archipenko, Henryk Berlewi, Béla Czóbel, László Mo- holy-Nagy, László Péri, Ivan Puni, and Arthur Segal.2 However, because of its post-Second World War status as an outpost on the frontier between East and West, the essentially Western orientation of the Cold War narratives, and a pre- dominantly formalist approach to avant-garde art, discussions of the 1920s art scene in Berlin have not extended far beyond Herwarth Walden’s Der Sturm (The Tempest) and Berlin dadaism. Influential organisations such as Die November- gruppe (The November Group) and the Internationale Vereinigung der Expres- sionisten, Futuristen und Kubisten (International Association of Expressionists, Futurists, and Cubists), later Die Abstrakten (The Abstractionists), have attracted little attention although they served as important platforms for the artistic ex- change of avant-garde artists from various national and cultural backgrounds, rep- resenting a variety of stylistic orientations and artistic expressions.
    [Show full text]