330:"In the cold, sallow, ghostly light of dawn…a trench appears into which a devastating bombardment has just descended. A poisonous sulphur yellow pool glistens in the depths like a smirk from hell. Otherwise the trench is filled up with hideously mutilated bodies and human fragments. From open skulls brains gush like thick red groats; torn-up limbs, intestines, shreds of uniforms, artillery shells form a vile heap... Half-decayed remains of the fallen, which were probably buried in the walls of the trench out of necessity and were exposed by the exploding shells, mix with the fresh, blood covered corpses. One soldier has been hurled out of the trench and lies above it, impaled on stakes."
25:
358:. The painting immediately became controversial when the museum's new modern art collection was opened to the public on 1 December 1923. It was framed simply with plain wood and concealed behind a grey curtain, but it still shocked the public and brought protests from former soldiers. It was described as "
495:
in 1931 as "perhaps the most famous picture painted in post-war Europe, is a masterpiece of unspeakable horror. Painted with the uncanny verisimilitude of wax works, this staggering vision of decay in death lives through the terrific loathing which Dix has concentrated in it . Dix is no decadent
309:
It depicted the gory aftermath of an artillery bombardment of a German trench with the scene littered with the detritus of war: ruined building, military paraphernalia such as gas masks and fragmentary body parts from dead soldiers. The painting has been lost, but black and white photographs have
403:
how it was on autumn days in the trenches south of
Soissons. The picture knows no tendency, only meticulously accurate factual portrayal: this is war. Dix paints without nightmare, without a thrill . One does not understand these steel nerves. No one else would have been able to represent these
404:
heaped-up horrors in detail, to build a picture with them. . The city of
Cologne and its museum director will be attacked and praised for this acquisition . Dix paints with a mature mastery of his means , as he must, with uninhibited creative power, from the abundance of seen experiences."
484:("No More War") exhibition of the League for Human Rights that toured Germany in 1925, was exhibited at the International Art Exhibition in Zurich in late 1925, and was then included in Dix exhibitions held in Berlin and Munich in 1926. Finally, the painting was acquired by
456:
on 2 July 1924, soon after the exhibition had closed, saying the painting made him want to vomit. He was concerned that its status made it a German national document, but also a subversive threat. In an open letter to Hans
Friedrich Secker, published in the
474:, was against the painting being kept by the museum. The strength of protests and criticism led the museum to return the painting to the artist in January 1925. The museum's director continued to acquire works by Dix, but eventually resigned in 1928.
262:
in 1920. He started to develop a reputation for controversy: in 1925, Dix successfully defended himself against charges of indecency following exhibitions in Berlin and
Darmstadt of two paintings of prostitutes.
496:
taster of gamey delights nor a mere amateur of the macabre. He is an artist who has gone through four years of ‘quiet’ on the
Western Front and expressed himself subsequently with a certain lack of restraint."
428:" ("in content, perhaps the most gruesome picture ever painted... and therefore the picture will find many opponents"). Supporters drew explicit parallels with the works of
929:
741:
692:
1074:
366:" ("scandal image"). Contemporary news reports suggest the controversy may have increased the number of people who visited the museum to view the painting.
1174:
1109:
609:
by the German government in
Lucerne in June 1939. When the Second World War broke out later in 1939, the painting was held in the former studio of
306:
roughly joined together. The poor quality of the materials that Dix used meant that the painting began to deteriorate soon after it was completed.
210:
in 1937. It was sold to an art dealer in early 1940, but its fate is not known. It is considered lost and may have been destroyed in the war.
905:
670:
386:
508:
came to power in
Germany in 1933. He was prohibited from exhibiting his works and over 250 of them in public collections were confiscated.
1050:
561:" ("It is a pity that these people cannot be imprisoned"). In June 1939, the painting was wanted by Georg Schmidt, the director of the
986:
948:
751:
702:
68:
46:
1058:
91:
1197:
886:
783:
227:
381:
344:
452:
521:
504:
Dix became a professor at the
Dresden Academy in 1927, but he was one of the first artists to lose his job after the
566:
580:
195:
819:
1117:
443:
268:
39:
33:
867:
527:
516:
399:" ("outrageous colours") including a central yellow pool, and commending the truth of its depiction of war: "
1207:
1202:
348:
1212:
1090:
979:
274:
50:
426:
inhaltlich vielleicht das grausigste Bild, das je gemalt wurde … und deshalb das Bild viele Gegner finden
1066:
618:
532:
429:
413:
315:
632:, but its destination and fate are not known. It remains lost and may have been destroyed in the war.
459:
223:
587:" ("Painted military sabotage of the painter Otto Dix") and given a long entry which stated that in
370:
485:
447:
369:
The reception was not universally hostile and many critics praised the painting. The art historian
353:
191:
137:
623:
488:
in 1928, but it was still considered too controversial for a public collection to put on display.
226:
as a machine gunner on the
Eastern and Western Fronts. After the war, he returned to study at the
194:
in 1928 but not exhibited there. The work was condemned by the Nazis, confiscated and included in
923:
855:
597:
Hier tritt die ‚Kunst' in den Dienst der marxistischen
Propaganda für die Wehrpflichtverweigerung
569:, but the Museum-commission did not approve its purchase. Georg Schmidt was also in contact with
235:
231:
418:
320:
253:
347:
in Cologne, the city then under Allied occupation, at the instigation of the museum's director
302:, 227 cm × 250 cm (89 in × 98 in), made from two pieces of heavy
1167:
972:
944:
911:
901:
882:
779:
747:
698:
666:
562:
550:
245:
172:
876:
1082:
1026:
1010:
847:
658:
599:" ("Here, the 'art' enters the service of Marxist propaganda for conscientious objection").
408:
1156:
1140:
546:
471:
238:
180:
606:
439:
258:
199:
176:
313:
The best surviving contemporaneous description was published by Walter Schmits in the
1191:
1135:
1018:
610:
570:
375:
295:
898:
Otto Dix and the First World War : grotesque humor, camaraderie and remembrance
940:
Otto Dix and the Memorialization of World War I in German Visual Culture, 1914-1936
835:"The Most Famous Painting of the "Golden Twenties"? Otto Dix and the Trench Affair"
743:
Otto Dix and the Memorialization of World War I in German Visual Culture, 1914-1936
694:
Otto Dix and the Memorialization of World War I in German Visual Culture, 1914-1936
629:
554:
119:
938:
727:
Kunsthaus Zürich. Internationale Kunstausstellung 8. August - 23. September 1925
492:
650:
294:
while he was in Dresden in 1920 and completed it in 1923 after he had moved to
272:("Der Krieg"), published in 1924, and his 1929 to 1932 triptych, also entitled
1161:
915:
662:
614:
505:
446:
in Berlin in 1924. The exhibition passed with little protest, but one critic,
266:
Dix returned to anti-war sentiments with a portfolio of fifty prints entitled
1034:
171:. The large painting was made from 1920 to 1923, and was one of the several
129:
227 cm × 250 cm (7.45 ft × 8.2 ft)
995:
222:
before the First World War. He was conscripted in 1915 and served in the
168:
101:
617:. The evidence suggests it was bought in January 1940 by the art dealer
219:
187:
141:
90:
859:
834:
628:
for $ 200, so it was probably not burned with other art in Berlin in
299:
207:
851:
565:, and entered negotiations on buying it with the German art dealer
230:
and then in Italy. He was a founder of the short-lived avant-garde
186:
The painting was immediately controversial when first exhibited in
878:
German Post-Expressionism: The Art of the Great Disorder 1918-1924
303:
968:
545:). Prominent Nazi visitors to the Dresden exhibition included
651:"WALTER SCHMITS, "James Joyce", Kölnische Zeitung (3.11.1927)"
573:
over its purchase, who encouraged him to buy the painting.
467:" ("one of the most important works of the post-war period").
391:, viewed the picture in Cologne in 1923, and describing it in
278:("Der Krieg"), the central panel of which reworks themes from
18:
964:
252:. He had already come to public attention when featured by
583:
in Munich in 1937. In the catalogue, it was described as "
175:
works by Dix in the 1920s, inspired by his experience of
559:
Es ist schade, daß man diese Leute nicht einsperren kann
605:
was not included in the auction sale of some works of
244:
His horrific experiences in the trenches inspired the
167:("The War"), was an oil painting by the German artist
1149:
1128:
1101:
1002:
133:
125:
115:
107:
97:
83:
833:
537:in Dresden in 1933, along with his 1920 painting
465:eines der bedeutendsten Werke der Nachkriegszeit
463:in October 1924, Liebermann wrote that it was "
395:16, published in January 1924, mentioning its "
746:(1st ed.). Bloomsbury. pp. 149–150.
579:was one of eight works by Dix included in the
980:
8:
1075:Portrait of the Journalist Sylvia von Harden
362:" ("war sabotage") and became known as the "
778:(in German). Wiese Verlag. pp. 62–65.
310:survived and contemporaneous descriptions.
987:
973:
965:
928:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
80:
1175:The Painter Otto Dix and His Wife, Martha
69:Learn how and when to remove this message
1110:Stormtroopers Advance Under a Gas Attack
585:Gemalte Wehrsabotage des Malers Otto Dix
32:This article includes a list of general
818:Based on the German Knowledge article:
641:
511:The painting was included in the first
921:
729:. Buchdruckerei Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
7:
943:(1st ed.). London: Bloomsbury.
881:. Penn State Press. pp. 94–98.
806:
804:
343:was acquired in October 1923 by the
298:. It was painted in oils on a large
1051:Portrait of the Dancer Anita Berber
515:("shame exhibition") organized by
38:it lacks sufficient corresponding
14:
382:Cologne Museum of Far Eastern Art
248:he created after 1920, including
234:art group and then supported the
1059:The Art Dealer Alfred Flechtheim
442:in the spring exhibition of the
190:in 1923. It was acquired by the
89:
23:
697:. Bloomsbury. pp. 79–80.
1:
649:Füger, Wilhelm (2000-01-01),
339:Soon after it was completed,
820:de:Schützengraben (Otto Dix)
810:Kreis, Georg (1990).pp.64–65
228:Dresden Academy of Fine Arts
896:Mackenzie, Michael (2019).
657:, BRILL, pp. 136–139,
453:Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung
1229:
218:Dix was an art student in
891:– via Google Books.
832:Crockett, Dennis (1992).
725:Kunsthaus Zurich (1925).
663:10.1163/9789004486287_119
581:Degenerate Art Exhibition
88:
798:Kreis, Georg (1990).p.64
444:Prussian Academy of Arts
290:Dix starting working on
159:), but earlier known as
870:. London: Tate Gallery.
345:Wallraf–Richartz Museum
326:in on 7 December 1923:
53:more precise citations.
1178:(1925-1926 photograph)
470:The mayor of Cologne,
1198:Paintings by Otto Dix
1067:Hugo Erfurth with Dog
774:Kreis, Georg (1990).
424:on 1 December 1923: "
349:Hans Friedrich Secker
937:Murray, Ann (2023).
868:"Lost Art: Otto Dix"
740:Murray, Ann (2023).
691:Murray, Ann (2023).
491:It was described by
480:was included in the
450:, savaged it in the
224:Imperial German Army
16:Painting by Otto Dix
486:Dresden City Museum
448:Julius Meier-Graefe
192:Dresden City Museum
138:Dresden City Museum
862:– via JStor.
619:Bernhard A. Böhmer
430:Matthias Grünewald
411:praised it in the
407:The art historian
380:, director of the
236:post-expressionist
232:Dresdner Sezession
157:Der Schützengraben
1185:
1184:
1168:Sylvia von Harden
907:978-3-0343-1723-8
875:Dennis Crockett.
672:978-90-04-48628-7
591:and his painting
563:Kunstmuseum Basel
557:, who remarked, "
513:Schandausstellung
438:was exhibited by
414:Kölnische Zeitung
316:Kölnische Zeitung
148:
147:
79:
78:
71:
1220:
1027:The Skat Players
1011:The Match Seller
989:
982:
975:
966:
961:
959:
957:
933:
927:
919:
892:
871:
863:
837:
811:
808:
799:
796:
790:
789:
771:
765:
764:
762:
760:
737:
731:
730:
722:
716:
715:
713:
711:
688:
682:
681:
680:
679:
646:
627:
536:
525:
482:Nie Wieder Krieg
460:Kölner Tageblatt
422:
409:Heribert Reiners
397:unerhörte Farben
390:
379:
357:
324:
93:
81:
74:
67:
63:
60:
54:
49:this article by
40:inline citations
27:
26:
19:
1228:
1227:
1223:
1222:
1221:
1219:
1218:
1217:
1188:
1187:
1186:
1181:
1157:New Objectivity
1145:
1141:Museum Haus Dix
1124:
1097:
998:
993:
955:
953:
951:
936:
920:
908:
895:
889:
874:
866:
831:
828:
815:
814:
809:
802:
797:
793:
786:
776:Entartete Kunst
773:
772:
768:
758:
756:
754:
739:
738:
734:
724:
723:
719:
709:
707:
705:
690:
689:
685:
677:
675:
673:
655:Kritisches Erbe
648:
647:
643:
638:
621:
530:
519:
502:
472:Konrad Adenauer
416:
384:
373:
351:
337:
318:
288:
254:Theodor Däubler
239:New Objectivity
216:
204:Entartete Kunst
181:First World War
161:The War Picture
75:
64:
58:
55:
45:Please help to
44:
28:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1226:
1224:
1216:
1215:
1210:
1208:Lost paintings
1205:
1203:1923 paintings
1200:
1190:
1189:
1183:
1182:
1180:
1179:
1171:
1165:
1159:
1153:
1151:
1147:
1146:
1144:
1143:
1138:
1132:
1130:
1126:
1125:
1123:
1122:
1114:
1105:
1103:
1099:
1098:
1096:
1095:
1087:
1079:
1071:
1063:
1055:
1047:
1039:
1031:
1023:
1015:
1006:
1004:
1000:
999:
994:
992:
991:
984:
977:
969:
963:
962:
949:
934:
906:
893:
887:
872:
864:
852:10.2307/777257
827:
824:
823:
822:
813:
812:
800:
791:
784:
766:
752:
732:
717:
703:
683:
671:
640:
639:
637:
634:
607:degenerate art
517:Richard Müller
501:
500:Degenerate art
498:
440:Max Liebermann
371:Alfred Salmony
336:
333:
332:
331:
287:
284:
259:Das Kunstblatt
215:
212:
200:degenerate art
196:the exhibition
177:trench warfare
146:
145:
135:
131:
130:
127:
123:
122:
117:
113:
112:
109:
105:
104:
99:
95:
94:
86:
85:
77:
76:
31:
29:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1225:
1214:
1213:War paintings
1211:
1209:
1206:
1204:
1201:
1199:
1196:
1195:
1193:
1177:
1176:
1172:
1169:
1166:
1163:
1160:
1158:
1155:
1154:
1152:
1148:
1142:
1139:
1137:
1136:Otto-Dix-Haus
1134:
1133:
1131:
1127:
1120:
1119:
1115:
1112:
1111:
1107:
1106:
1104:
1100:
1093:
1092:
1088:
1085:
1084:
1080:
1077:
1076:
1072:
1069:
1068:
1064:
1061:
1060:
1056:
1053:
1052:
1048:
1045:
1044:
1040:
1037:
1036:
1032:
1029:
1028:
1024:
1021:
1020:
1019:Prague Street
1016:
1013:
1012:
1008:
1007:
1005:
1001:
997:
990:
985:
983:
978:
976:
971:
970:
967:
952:
950:9781350354647
946:
942:
941:
935:
931:
925:
917:
913:
909:
903:
899:
894:
890:
884:
880:
879:
873:
869:
865:
861:
857:
853:
849:
845:
841:
836:
830:
829:
825:
821:
817:
816:
807:
805:
801:
795:
792:
787:
781:
777:
770:
767:
755:
753:9781350354647
749:
745:
744:
736:
733:
728:
721:
718:
706:
704:9781350354647
700:
696:
695:
687:
684:
674:
668:
664:
660:
656:
652:
645:
642:
635:
633:
631:
625:
620:
616:
612:
611:Ernst Barlach
608:
604:
600:
598:
594:
590:
586:
582:
578:
574:
572:
571:Paul Westheim
568:
567:Karl Buchholz
564:
560:
556:
552:
548:
544:
540:
539:Kriegskrüppel
534:
529:
528:Neues Rathaus
523:
518:
514:
509:
507:
499:
497:
494:
489:
487:
483:
479:
475:
473:
468:
466:
462:
461:
455:
454:
449:
445:
441:
437:
433:
431:
427:
423:
420:
415:
410:
405:
402:
398:
394:
388:
383:
377:
372:
367:
365:
361:
355:
350:
346:
342:
334:
329:
328:
327:
325:
322:
317:
311:
307:
305:
301:
297:
293:
285:
283:
281:
277:
276:
271:
270:
264:
261:
260:
255:
251:
247:
242:
240:
237:
233:
229:
225:
221:
213:
211:
209:
205:
201:
197:
193:
189:
184:
182:
178:
174:
170:
166:
162:
158:
154:
153:
143:
139:
136:
132:
128:
124:
121:
120:Oil on canvas
118:
114:
110:
106:
103:
100:
96:
92:
87:
82:
73:
70:
62:
52:
48:
42:
41:
35:
30:
21:
20:
1173:
1116:
1108:
1089:
1081:
1073:
1065:
1057:
1049:
1042:
1041:
1033:
1025:
1017:
1009:
954:. Retrieved
939:
897:
877:
846:(1): 72–80.
843:
839:
794:
775:
769:
757:. Retrieved
742:
735:
726:
720:
708:. Retrieved
693:
686:
676:, retrieved
654:
644:
602:
601:
596:
593:War Cripples
592:
588:
584:
576:
575:
558:
543:War Cripples
542:
538:
512:
510:
503:
490:
481:
477:
476:
469:
464:
458:
451:
435:
434:
425:
412:
406:
400:
396:
393:Der Cicerone
392:
368:
363:
360:Wehrsabotage
359:
340:
338:
314:
312:
308:
291:
289:
279:
273:
267:
265:
257:
249:
246:anti-war art
243:
217:
203:
185:
164:
160:
156:
151:
150:
149:
65:
56:
37:
1086:(1927–1928)
1046:(1920–1923)
840:Art Journal
622: [
531: [
520: [
493:Alfred Barr
417: [
385: [
374: [
364:Skandalbild
352: [
319: [
286:Description
51:introducing
1192:Categories
1162:Martha Dix
1102:Engravings
1083:Metropolis
1043:The Trench
916:1031415294
900:. Oxford.
888:0271043164
826:References
785:3909158315
678:2023-12-05
630:March 1939
603:The Trench
589:The Trench
577:The Trench
506:Nazi Party
478:The Trench
436:The Trench
341:The Trench
296:Düsseldorf
292:The Trench
280:The Trench
250:The Trench
241:movement.
214:Background
206:) held in
163:or simply
152:The Trench
126:Dimensions
84:The Trench
34:references
1035:To Beauty
1003:Paintings
924:cite book
335:Reception
165:Der Krieg
155:(German:
111:1920-1923
59:June 2020
996:Otto Dix
547:Goebbels
173:anti-war
169:Otto Dix
134:Location
102:Otto Dix
1170:(model)
1150:Related
1129:Museums
1118:The War
1091:The War
615:Güstrow
526:in the
401:That is
275:The War
269:The War
220:Dresden
188:Cologne
179:in the
142:Dresden
47:improve
1164:(wife)
1121:(1924)
1113:(1924)
1094:(1932)
1078:(1926)
1070:(1926)
1062:(1926)
1054:(1925)
1038:(1922)
1030:(1920)
1022:(1920)
1014:(1920)
956:4 July
947:
914:
904:
885:
860:777257
858:
782:
759:4 July
750:
710:4 July
701:
669:
555:Hitler
551:Göring
300:canvas
208:Munich
144:(lost)
116:Medium
98:Artist
36:, but
856:JSTOR
636:Notes
626:]
535:]
524:]
421:]
389:]
378:]
356:]
323:]
958:2024
945:ISBN
930:link
912:OCLC
902:ISBN
883:ISBN
780:ISBN
761:2024
748:ISBN
712:2024
699:ISBN
667:ISBN
553:and
304:jute
108:Year
848:doi
659:doi
613:in
595:: "
256:in
198:of
1194::
926:}}
922:{{
910:.
854:.
844:51
842:.
838:.
803:^
665:,
653:,
624:de
549:,
533:de
522:de
432:.
419:de
387:de
376:de
354:de
321:de
282:.
183:.
140:,
988:e
981:t
974:v
960:.
932:)
918:.
850::
788:.
763:.
714:.
661::
541:(
202:(
72:)
66:(
61:)
57:(
43:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
