Degenerate Art

What it was:

The first thing I found out was how the term degenerate art was created. It started when Hitler could not paint in the style of modern artists of the time such as Jean Metzinger and Emil Nolde but painted photo-realistically instead.


Because of this he got rejected from art school. When Hitler came to power he decided to put on an exhibition of all the modern artists who painted in a modernism style. he called this exhibition "degenerate art". The exhibition included work from the Dada movement, Impressionism, Fauvism and Bauhaus. He believed this art was degenerate because it did not show the true form of the world and was not what he wanted Germany's art to be. The exhibition was the more successful art exhibition in all time with around 3,000,000 people going to visit it.


The artists who's work was labelled "degenerate" were often sanctioned and some were banned from producing more artwork. Many art students at that time went to see the exhibition for fear of never being able to see the artworks again. However the works were hung in such a way it was clear they were not to be idolised and admired. They were clumped together in dim lighting in an attempt to make it seem more "degenerate". their aim was to make to rest of the nation also believe this work was hideous, useless and "degenerate". For a lot, this was successful. however, there were many who disagreed with what Hitler was doing to the art but could not speak up for fear of the consequences.


My Views:
As a strong believer in the subjectivity of art I couldn't disagree more with what Hitler and the Nazi party did. I believe just because one person doesn't like a piece of art work doesn't necessarily mean the rest of the population will find it equally bad but may find it desirable. I think that Hitler was actually just a little bit jealous. He hadn't gotten into art school because he was unable to paint in a modernism form which the world wanted at that time so he got rid of it, replacing it with the art he could do. He attacked and described the artists work as "degenerate" and had it shown in such a manner where you couldn't appreciate their work.


Artists included:

• Jean Metzinger

major 20th-century French painter, theorist, writer, critic and poet, who along with Albert Gleizes, developed the theoretical foundations of Cubism.

• Emil Nolde
• Wassily Kandinsky
• Paul Klee
• Max Beckmann
• George Grosz