拍品專文
In the years following the First World War, the subject-matter of Dix's paintings became increasingly discordant, degenerate and provocative. Focussing on the working-class milieu from which he came, he chose to depict beggars, prostitutes and other social outcasts of the Weimar Republic.
His ideas on art were greatly affected by Nietzschean philosophy. He identified with Nietzsche's insistence that "To represent terrible and questionable things is in itself the sign of an instinct of power and magnificence in the artist; he doesn't fear them." Hence Dix's work began to feature disturbing or offensive subject-matter in a distorted, almost caricatural style using harsh, strident colours which aimed to force the viewer to confront issues in a critical manner.
The watercolour Exotischer Puff epitomises this; its style is deliberately shocking, bordering on the grotesque. The drastic display of nudity can be found in other works by the artist, notably in Salon II (O. Dix, exh. cat., Galerie Der Stadt, Stuttgart, 1989, illus. p. 19). This piece was so graphic in its subject-matter that it provoked a lawsuit against Dix in 1923 who was accused of 'lascivious imagery' in an action brought by the State prosecutor of Hesse. It was, in fact, the second time that Dix stood charged with 'the propagation of immoral paintings'. His Mädchen vor dem Spiegel of 1921, showing a half-naked prostitute making herself up in front of the mirror, was considered so shocking that it was impounded by the Berlin police. Later, in the 1930s, Dix's work was heavily censored and eventually branded degenerate.
The inspiration for Exotischer Puff clearly originates from Dix's trip to Hamburg in 1921. He was fascinated by the port, its low-life and the prostitutes who worked in the St. Pauli red light district. This visit inspired his first oil paintings of prostitutes and a number of pictures of sailors. "Dix had a very romantic idea of the sea, and of the sailor with a girl in every port." (K. Hartley et al, ext. cat., tto Dix, Tate Gallery, 1992, p. 138.) He executed a series of fine, expressive watercolours on this theme. All are characterised by their crass realism, strong colours, powerful subjects and underlying tragic comedy.
The ribald humour of the present work was probably due in part to Dix's knowledge of the songs of Joachim Ringelnatz (1883-1934) who worked for the Berlin cabaret Schall und Rauch founded in 1919. Ringelnatz invented a sailor called Kuddel Daddeldu who featured in many of his songs. Dix knew Ringelnatz and actually dedicated one of these erotic watercolours to him.
His ideas on art were greatly affected by Nietzschean philosophy. He identified with Nietzsche's insistence that "To represent terrible and questionable things is in itself the sign of an instinct of power and magnificence in the artist; he doesn't fear them." Hence Dix's work began to feature disturbing or offensive subject-matter in a distorted, almost caricatural style using harsh, strident colours which aimed to force the viewer to confront issues in a critical manner.
The watercolour Exotischer Puff epitomises this; its style is deliberately shocking, bordering on the grotesque. The drastic display of nudity can be found in other works by the artist, notably in Salon II (O. Dix, exh. cat., Galerie Der Stadt, Stuttgart, 1989, illus. p. 19). This piece was so graphic in its subject-matter that it provoked a lawsuit against Dix in 1923 who was accused of 'lascivious imagery' in an action brought by the State prosecutor of Hesse. It was, in fact, the second time that Dix stood charged with 'the propagation of immoral paintings'. His Mädchen vor dem Spiegel of 1921, showing a half-naked prostitute making herself up in front of the mirror, was considered so shocking that it was impounded by the Berlin police. Later, in the 1930s, Dix's work was heavily censored and eventually branded degenerate.
The inspiration for Exotischer Puff clearly originates from Dix's trip to Hamburg in 1921. He was fascinated by the port, its low-life and the prostitutes who worked in the St. Pauli red light district. This visit inspired his first oil paintings of prostitutes and a number of pictures of sailors. "Dix had a very romantic idea of the sea, and of the sailor with a girl in every port." (K. Hartley et al, ext. cat., tto Dix, Tate Gallery, 1992, p. 138.) He executed a series of fine, expressive watercolours on this theme. All are characterised by their crass realism, strong colours, powerful subjects and underlying tragic comedy.
The ribald humour of the present work was probably due in part to Dix's knowledge of the songs of Joachim Ringelnatz (1883-1934) who worked for the Berlin cabaret Schall und Rauch founded in 1919. Ringelnatz invented a sailor called Kuddel Daddeldu who featured in many of his songs. Dix knew Ringelnatz and actually dedicated one of these erotic watercolours to him.