Olga and Carl Milles antimodernism and lifelong support for Hitler and German national socialism runs like an undercurrent through the Millesgarden. Now the museum shows the German expressionism that gave the couple Milles horror and that the nazis considered evolutionarily degenerate (entartete), sick and genetically rasförstörande and must therefore be cleared away.
In an exhibition booth, the visitor can read the Carl Milles letter to Olga on september 12, 1937, in which he tells how he during his visit in Munich visited the nazi deterrent propagandautställning ”Entartete kunst”.
He writes: ”We have seen 2 great shows. Modern art in a wonderful new palace of the arts things that the new regime allows, and then what they also not allow. I must say, when I saw what they were not permit – my heart rejoiced.”
so clearly highlighted by the Carl Milles political perspective. The exhibition art comes from Häuptlisamlingen at the Aargauer Kunsthaus in Switzerland and Osthaus-Museum Hagens collection in Germany, and consists of around 150 works by 38 of the most prominent German expressionists from the period 1905-1938. Including Emil Nolde, Max Pechstein, Louis Kirchner, Franz Marc, and as the only woman Gabriele Münter. On the floor at each of the artistry runs a powerful memorandum, which, in black letters against a white background indicated how each was affected by the rise of the nazi purges.
Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, ”Melancholia”, in 1914. Photo: Achim Kukulies, Düsseldorf
”I Hope I will not be disappointed”, exclaims a friend at the show. I think the same thing. It is no longer easy to, with reference to the unsuspecting tidstankar dismiss expressionismens romantic dreams of unspoiled savages, the original nature and intended folksjälars innate shape and color tones.
the 2000-century audience do not think that the yellow color is in league with the triangle, which are in communion with the spiritual ability. And the parts neither the belief in a world built by the divine geometry or on the artist’s prophetic mission to reveal it. Time of the visual peaks of the mountains.
to the great spiritual era”, proclaiming the artist Wassily Kandinsky, when the German expressionistgruppen ”Der blaue reiter” was founded in Munich in 1912 – and painted himself as a knight on a speeding horse. Upheaval demanded for their battle and his apocalypse.
it Is precisely for this reason that Millesgårdens exhibition has something released obscure over? The muffled blandfärgerna surprise. That I would be conditioned by the French, Russian and scandinavian expressionismens bright colors and optimistic forward motion. Slowly, I am reminded of how the German expressionism rather pushed backwards, towards the middle ages, against Goethe and mysticism. And träsnittet.
Otto Mueller, ”Bathers” in 1920. Photo: Aargauer Kunsthaus Aarau
the artistic zeal, conviction and innerligheten high over the overplayed tankegodset. Despite the amount of urhem, exotiserade folktyper, melancholic dandy’s, fallen, men and posing women, it is amazing to follow how the German expressionists breaks down not only akademismens heroic body image – but also its requirements on the teckningens descriptive and controlling power over the unpredictable färgmåleriet.
It is hardly a klassicistiskt kroppsbyggd man in Otto mueller’s painting ”the Bathers” (1920) steep stairs and naked in the ladders out of the water to the waiting woman. Even the women lose the shape and provided with strutformade occurs and hair under the arms. In Erich Heckels portrait ”Friend” (1917) folds the haggard soul outside of the body, whose power seems to seep out through the long fingers. Expressionism as inifrånhändelse.
Erich Heckel, ”the Friend” in 1917. Photo: Achim Kukulies, Düsseldorf
nor is It possible to resist the Emil Noldes painting (1920) by the hungry chit-chat that get the eyes to shine and cheeks to flush. In his watercolor of the mother and child floating emotions straight through the paper. Of Noldes water towering clouds out of the bodily gudsinkarnationer.
Max Pechsteins lying girl in the painting with the same title? The unctuous illröda the mouth could be just as pleased as corrupted. Yes what has caused the dubbelbottnat red spots under her eyes?
Gabriele Münter ”Landscape with a white wall”, 1910. Photo: Achim Kukulies, Düsseldorf
Perhaps it is, however, Gabriele Münters painting ”Landscape with a white wall,” from 1910, which best unites the German expressionismens primeval images: the trees and the mountain’s blue-green triangles inscribed in the white circle. At the entrance guarding the cube – the home and the house. Extremely strong.