The term Entartete Kunst was coined by the National Socialist Party and was a campaign against modern art. (entartete kunst translated says Degenerate Art).
The "Entartete Kunst" exhibition was held at Institute of Archeology in the Hofgarten, Munich, summer 1937 and commission by Adolf Ziegler Hitlers President of the Reich Chamber of Fine art. Over 600 pieces of seized art, (paintings, sculptures, prints and books) either from museums or private collections were gathered together with the sole purpose to degenerate modern art. The paintings were exhibited at strange angles and accompanied by slogans or angry texts to vilify the artists. Some of the slogans used "madness becomes method", "An insult to German womanhood" or "revelation of the Jewish racial soul."
The exhibition made a mockery of modern art, its purpose was to display the evil plot made against the German people by these artists. The Nazi party claimed modern art was created by Bolsheviks and Jews, even though only a very small minority of the artwork was by a jewish artist. Its ignorance borne on the view "Degenerate Art was purchased by Degenerate people", or in this case the middle class professional jews.
“You see around us monstrosities of madness, of impudence, of inability and degeneration. What this show has to offer causes shock and disgust in all of us." - Adolf Ziegler, in reference to the Entartete Kunst.
Below is a film of the Exhibition:
Amusingly the concept of Degeneracy in art came about through the work of Max Nordau, in his book Entartung (Degeneration) 1892-93 he writes about how artist's could have psychological disorders,or mental illness brought about through modernism and modernisation. Nordau also believed the work they produced could be contagious, society could be corrupted "by decayed ideas of beauty and virtue." Nordau also advises in his book "Degenerates are not always criminals, prostitutes, anarchists and pronounced lunatics; they are often authors and artists..." Ironically Nordau was a committed Jewish Zionist.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24819441
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/0af9ef66-af5c-11e3-bea5-00144feab7de.html#ixzz31E9OLxh7
The "Entartete Kunst" exhibition was held at Institute of Archeology in the Hofgarten, Munich, summer 1937 and commission by Adolf Ziegler Hitlers President of the Reich Chamber of Fine art. Over 600 pieces of seized art, (paintings, sculptures, prints and books) either from museums or private collections were gathered together with the sole purpose to degenerate modern art. The paintings were exhibited at strange angles and accompanied by slogans or angry texts to vilify the artists. Some of the slogans used "madness becomes method", "An insult to German womanhood" or "revelation of the Jewish racial soul."
The exhibition made a mockery of modern art, its purpose was to display the evil plot made against the German people by these artists. The Nazi party claimed modern art was created by Bolsheviks and Jews, even though only a very small minority of the artwork was by a jewish artist. Its ignorance borne on the view "Degenerate Art was purchased by Degenerate people", or in this case the middle class professional jews.
“You see around us monstrosities of madness, of impudence, of inability and degeneration. What this show has to offer causes shock and disgust in all of us." - Adolf Ziegler, in reference to the Entartete Kunst.
Below is a film of the Exhibition:
Amusingly the concept of Degeneracy in art came about through the work of Max Nordau, in his book Entartung (Degeneration) 1892-93 he writes about how artist's could have psychological disorders,or mental illness brought about through modernism and modernisation. Nordau also believed the work they produced could be contagious, society could be corrupted "by decayed ideas of beauty and virtue." Nordau also advises in his book "Degenerates are not always criminals, prostitutes, anarchists and pronounced lunatics; they are often authors and artists..." Ironically Nordau was a committed Jewish Zionist.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24819441
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/0af9ef66-af5c-11e3-bea5-00144feab7de.html#ixzz31E9OLxh7
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