University of Southampton Research Repository ePrints Soton Copyright © and Moral Rights for this thesis are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder/s. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given e.g. AUTHOR (year of submission) "Full thesis title", University of Southampton, name of the University School or Department, PhD Thesis, pagination http://eprints.soton.ac.uk UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON Biography and the Educative: A Critical Examination of the Life and Artwork of Wilhelm Heinrich Otto Dix. One Volume Charanjit Singh (MSc, Barrister) Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) Faculty of Human and Social Sciences November 2012 1 2 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON ABSTRACT FACULTY OF HUMAN AND SOCIAL SCIENCES SCHOOL OF EDUCATION Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) Biography and the Educative: A Critical Examination of the Life and Artwork of Wilhelm Heinrich Otto Dix. By Charanjit Singh Often modern institutionalised notions of the educative connect less to education as a means through which individuals and society can improve, but more with education as the conduit by which to achieve a particular career. Both these notions are of equal importance because of the dynamics in which modern day education exists. Wilhelm Heinrich Otto Dix (1891 – 1969) was an individual who learnt much through his life, but in a continuous democratizing effort he also shared his experiences with those that surrounded him. In this study I will explore the educational influences in the life and artwork of this artist and the formation of his self from a broader notion of the educative. This is achieved through the combination of Bildung (a German concept that concentrates on self- formation, education and cultivation), traditional biographical and art historical analysis, and Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of the habitus. The result, as exemplified by the artists life is to show that Otto Dix was in a state of Bildung and thus his self was constantly forming and reforming. The study brings together, for the first time, notions of Dix’s bildung and self-regard. 3 4 Contents Page Title Page and Thesis Abstract 1 – 3 Contents 5 List of Illustrations 7 – 9 Declaration of Authorship 11 Acknowledgements 13 Definitions and Glossary of Terms 15 – 22 Chapter One: Introduction 23 – 34 Chapter Two: Literature Review 35 – 82 Chapter Three: Analytical and Methodological Framework 83 – 108 Chapter Four: Otto Dix Biography 109 – 116 Chapter Five: Otto Dix Biography (1890 – 1918) 117 – 152 Chapter Six: Otto Dix Biography (1918 – 1969) 151 – 192 Chapter Seven: Conclusion: Dix and the Educative 193 – 210 Appendices 211 – 262 Bibliography 263 – 297 5 6 List of Illustrations: Plates and Diagrams Figure 1: Halbakt (Half Nude), 1929 Christian Schad Figure 2: Bildnis der Tanzerin Anita Berber (Portrait of a Dancer Anita Berber), 1925 Otto Dix Figure 3: Die Stützen der Gesellschaft (The Pillars of Society), 1926 George Grosz Figure 4: Bildnis Margot (A Portrait of Margot), 1924 Rudolph Schlicter Figure 5: Agosta, der Flügelmensch, und Rasha, die schwarze Taube (Agosta, the Pigeon-Chested Man, and Rasha, the Black Dove), 1929 Christian Schad Figure 6: Diagrammatic Representation of Study Figure 7: Bildnis Frau Martha Dix (Portrait of Martha Dix), 1923 Otto Dix Figure 8: Lustmord Scene II (Mord) or Sexmord (Scene II (Murder)), 1922 Otto Dix Figure 9: Halbakt (Half Nude), 1926 Otto Dix Figure 10: Kriegskrüppel (War Cripples), 1920 Otto Dix Figure 11: Die Eltern des Künstlers II (Portrait of My Parents II), 1922 Otto Dix Figure 12: Die Eltern des Künstlers I (Portrait of My Parents I), 1921 Otto Dix Figure 13: Selbstbildnis als Soldat (Self-Portrait as a Soldier), 1914 Otto Dix Figure 14: Selbstbildnis mit Artillerie-Helm (Self-Portrait Wearing Gunner's Helmet), 1914 Otto Dix Figure 15: Selbstbildnis mit Zwei-Frauen (Self-Portrait with Two Women), 1920 George Grosz 7 Figure 16: Diagrammatic Representation of Analysis Figure 17: Nikolaus (Portrait of Nikolaus Schad as a Child), 1926 Christian Schad Figure 18: Marcella (Portrait of Christan Schad’s Wife), 1926 Christian Schad Figure 19: Man with Glass Eye, 1926 George Grosz Figure 20: The Rape of the Sabine Women, 1634 Nicolas Poussin Figure 21: Rue Montorguiel in Paris, Festival of June 30, 1878 Claude Monet Figure 22: The Operation, 1929 Christian Schad Figure 23: Sonnenaufgang (Sunrise), 1913 Otto Dix Figure 24: Selbstportrait mit Nelke (Self-portrait with Carnation), 1912 Otto Dix Figure 25: Bust of Frederick Nietzsche, 1914 Otto Dix Figure 26: Selbportrait als Schießscheibe (Self-Portrait as Shooting Target), 1915 Otto Dix Figure 27: Ein Schones Grab (A Beautiful Grave), 1916 Otto Dix Figure 28: Lichtsignale (Flare), 1917 Otto Dix Figure 29: Die Felixmüller Familie (The Felixmüller Family), 1919 Otto Dix Figure 30: Dr. Meyer-Herman, 1926 (Berlin) Otto Dix Figure 31: Streetfight, 1927 Otto Dix 8 Figure 32: Erste internationale Dada-Messe: Katalog. Figure 33: Dr Hans Koch, 1921 Otto Dix Figure 34: Apotheose (Apotheosis), 1919 (published in 1922) Figure 35: Photograph of Dix with Käthe König, 1962 Otto Dix Figure 36: Reclining Woman on Leopard Skin, 1927 Otto Dix Figure 37: Lustmord (Sex murder), 1922 Figure 38: Lustmord I, Versuch (Sex Murder I, Trial), 1922 Figure 39: Photograph: Self-portrait with Eva Peters George Grosz Figure 40: Der Lustmörder (Selbstbildnis) (Sex Murderer), circa 1920 Otto Dix Figure 41: Der Salon I (The Salon I), 1921 Otto Dix Figure 42: Der Krieg (The War), 1932 Figure 43: Bildnis der Journalistin Sylvia von Harden (Portrait of the Journalist Sylvia von Harden), 1926 Otto Dix Figure 44: To Beauty, 1922 Otto Dix Figure 45: Selbstbildnis als Kriegsgefangener (Self-portrait as a Prisoner of War), 1947 Otto Dix Figure 46: Ecce Homo III (Behold the Man), 1949 Otto Dix Figure 47: Krieg und Frieden (War and Peace), 1960 Otto Dix Figure 48: Mädchen vor dem Spiegel (Girl in Front of a Mirror), 1922 Otto Dix 9 10 Academic Thesis: Declaration Of Authorship I CHARANJIT SINGH declare that this thesis and the work presented in it are my own and has been generated by me as the result of my own original research. Biography and the Educative: A Critical Examination of the Life and Artwork of Wilhelm Heinrich Otto Dix. I confirm that: 1. This work was done wholly or mainly while in candidature for a research degree at this University; 2. Where any part of this thesis has previously been submitted for a degree or any other qualification at this University or any other institution, this has been clearly stated; 3. Where I have consulted the published work of others, this is always clearly attributed; 4. Where I have quoted from the work of others, the source is always given. With the exception of such quotations, this thesis is entirely my own work; 5. I have acknowledged all main sources of help; 6. Where the thesis is based on work done by myself jointly with others, I have made clear exactly what was done by others and what I have contributed myself; 7. Either none of this work has been published before submission, or parts of this work have been published as: Singh Landa, C. (2010) Capturing Humanity: The implicated biography and validity in a narrative world. HSOTONDRJ. Vol. 1 April 2010. University of Southampton Publication. Singh Landa, C. (2012). Biography as a Looking Glass: Revealing the Hidden Influences in the Life of Christian Schad. In Sparkes, A. C. (Ed.). Auto/Biography Yearbook 2012. Nottingham: Russell Press. Pp. 94 – 109. Signed: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Date: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11 12 Special Acknowledgements I wish to thank my parents Mr. and Mrs. Singh Landa and those friends and relatives including Surinder Pal Singh and Udam Singh Landa (and all my siblings) who supported me throughout my studies, support that often included proof reading my many English to French and German, and French and German to English translations. Further, I wish to acknowledge the encouragement and support of both Mr. Ian Bryant (PhD Supervisor) and Dr. Gillian Clarke (academic mentor) and the many scholars who inspired my research including Mr. Michael Erben from the University of Southampton’s Education School. I also provide special mention to the Otto Dix Stiftung (Foundation), which was set-up by Martha Dix (the widow of the artist) in 1983. The Foundation has proved a useful source both because of its archive and extensive collection of evidence but also as the starting point through which much other evidence could be collated. The Foundation has connection with scholars on Dix including Professor Dr. Rainer Beck, Dr. Suse Pfäffle and Dr. Ulrike Lorenz. The Otto Dix archive is maintained by Pfefferkorn and Rainer Northild Eger (archive at www.otto-dix.de). The council is based in Vaduz, Städtle 22, FL 9490 Vaduz and the archive is located in Bevaix, Chauvigny, CH 2022 Bevaix. I would also wish to thank Dresden and Gera City (Germany) Civil Offices and Archives: Births, Deaths and Marriages, the Academy of Art (Dresden), the School of Arts and Crafts (Dresden) and the many galleries that I contacted for the efficiency by which they responded to my requests for information. 13 14 Definitions and Glossary of Terms What follows is an outline clarification of the terms used within the argument in this thesis, thus avoiding the many interpretations that are given to terminology. Unless otherwise stated, the traditional definition has been adopted.