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拍品专文
A unique and important work, Mieze II is the product of one of the most turbulent yet artistically creative periods in modern European history. Its origins lie in the early years of the Weimar Republic when politically and culturally Germany was in a state of flux. The Dresden to which Otto Dix returned after four years active service was dominated by Expressionism. Together with Conrad Felixmuller and others he formed the Dresdner Sezession Gruppe 1919 (Group 1919), to promote Expressionist works and support political causes of the left. Their manifesto, typical of the time, aimed "to find new ways to express the freedom of the individual and the new world around us". Surprisingly there was genuine optimism that in the shock of defeat a new country, if not a new world order was possible. Most of his fellow Group 1919 members saw this in messianic socialist terms, but Dix did not. He distrusted all ideologies, and famously observed that he would rather spend 5 marks on visiting a brothel than a political meeting. His response to the general euphoria of the end of the war and the possibility of a new beginning was a 'mystical' expressionism. One of the first works he created at the Academy, entitled Mondweib (Moon Woman), now in the National Gallery Berlin, perfectly encapsulates the heady idealism of these months. It shares with Mieze II a large fleshy female, a cosmic vision of the 'eternal feminine'. It was shortly followed by Apotheosis (Karsch 30), a woodcut that closely resembles the present composition.
While various iconographical allusions may be detected in these images dominated by a single female figure the underlying philosophy is Nietzschean. Life was to be confronted and enjoyed as it truly was, without moral restraint. Nietzsche insisted that man could only reach his full potential by opening himself out to the most intense experience of his senses, specifically his sexuality. Thus we have the graphic female genitalia at the very centre of the image, around which the whole composition seems to rotate. But this in not only meant to signify the importance of the sexual experience. It stands for something more fundamental still: "In the last analysis, all wars are fought for the sake of the vulva." In other words all conflict is concerned with the will to live and survive through procreation.
Whilst a heady mix of Dionysian ecstasy and post conflict euphoria might explain the central element of Mieze II it is clear that something else is at work. The atmosphere is completely different. As Expressionism reached its zenith in late 1919 potential successors were already beginning to appear. The first concerted attempt to challenge its supremacy came from the Dadaists. Their denigration of the puffed-up and false, a love of kitsch, low-life and the trivial, an emphasis on caricature and the use of collage all made a deep impression on Dix when he came into contact with the movement in Autumn 1919. Many of these devices appear in Mieze II - a phrase from Don Giovanni written around the woman's thighs, substituting the word Herzen (hearts) with Hosen (stockings), random references to urban Dresden (the number 42 tram at left, with the name of its destination on Nürnburger Ei at right), snatches of popular songs, and even a quote from the Bible for good measure.
This image is more, however, than the assimilation of one artistic style by another. Dix was a complex, emotional character, and an ambitious young artist. He had the reputation of being something of a wild-man, and clearly enjoyed playing the role. Paul Westheim described him as "a kid with whom one can go horse-rustling." And in Felixmüller's 1920 oil Otto Dix Paints (National Gallery, Berlin), the artist is shown violently attacking a canvas. Dix knew that notoriety was a kind of fame, and that fame was a pre-requisite of artistic success. Whether or not the creation of challenging images like Mieze II were a conscious attempt to provoke a reaction is a moot point, but he did admit early in his career that he intended to be "either famous or infamous". He was suitably pleased when his oil Woman before a Mirror, 1921, (destroyed), landed him in court for obscenity. As well as confirming this reputation he must also have felt confident that such a graphic display of nudity stood a good chance of selling. The generation in which he grew up was fascinated by pulp fiction, with tales of ghastly murders, often with a strong psychosexual element. Whilst Mieze II is much more than simple pornography, he must have been aware of the commercial success fellow artists enjoyed with subjects similar to this.
Apart from shocking the general public he probably felt particular satisfaction at provoking his close friend Conrad Felixmüller. Felixmüller played a central role in Expressionist and Post-Expressionist circles, creating links with wealthy collectors in Berlin and the Rheinland, collectors who were important to the careers of aspiring young artists such as Dix.
A fellow member of the Gruppe 19 and a committed communist, he introduced Dix to his lithographic printers and records in his diary the background to this print. It would appear that he presented Mieze II, his first lithograph, to Felixmuller the day it was printed, and signed and dedicated it to his friend. Returning to the workshop shortly after Dix discovered that the printer had cleaned the stone, refusing in his words to print such "Schweinerei". The present impression is therefore unique, and has remained in the Felixmüller family ever since.
While various iconographical allusions may be detected in these images dominated by a single female figure the underlying philosophy is Nietzschean. Life was to be confronted and enjoyed as it truly was, without moral restraint. Nietzsche insisted that man could only reach his full potential by opening himself out to the most intense experience of his senses, specifically his sexuality. Thus we have the graphic female genitalia at the very centre of the image, around which the whole composition seems to rotate. But this in not only meant to signify the importance of the sexual experience. It stands for something more fundamental still: "In the last analysis, all wars are fought for the sake of the vulva." In other words all conflict is concerned with the will to live and survive through procreation.
Whilst a heady mix of Dionysian ecstasy and post conflict euphoria might explain the central element of Mieze II it is clear that something else is at work. The atmosphere is completely different. As Expressionism reached its zenith in late 1919 potential successors were already beginning to appear. The first concerted attempt to challenge its supremacy came from the Dadaists. Their denigration of the puffed-up and false, a love of kitsch, low-life and the trivial, an emphasis on caricature and the use of collage all made a deep impression on Dix when he came into contact with the movement in Autumn 1919. Many of these devices appear in Mieze II - a phrase from Don Giovanni written around the woman's thighs, substituting the word Herzen (hearts) with Hosen (stockings), random references to urban Dresden (the number 42 tram at left, with the name of its destination on Nürnburger Ei at right), snatches of popular songs, and even a quote from the Bible for good measure.
This image is more, however, than the assimilation of one artistic style by another. Dix was a complex, emotional character, and an ambitious young artist. He had the reputation of being something of a wild-man, and clearly enjoyed playing the role. Paul Westheim described him as "a kid with whom one can go horse-rustling." And in Felixmüller's 1920 oil Otto Dix Paints (National Gallery, Berlin), the artist is shown violently attacking a canvas. Dix knew that notoriety was a kind of fame, and that fame was a pre-requisite of artistic success. Whether or not the creation of challenging images like Mieze II were a conscious attempt to provoke a reaction is a moot point, but he did admit early in his career that he intended to be "either famous or infamous". He was suitably pleased when his oil Woman before a Mirror, 1921, (destroyed), landed him in court for obscenity. As well as confirming this reputation he must also have felt confident that such a graphic display of nudity stood a good chance of selling. The generation in which he grew up was fascinated by pulp fiction, with tales of ghastly murders, often with a strong psychosexual element. Whilst Mieze II is much more than simple pornography, he must have been aware of the commercial success fellow artists enjoyed with subjects similar to this.
Apart from shocking the general public he probably felt particular satisfaction at provoking his close friend Conrad Felixmüller. Felixmüller played a central role in Expressionist and Post-Expressionist circles, creating links with wealthy collectors in Berlin and the Rheinland, collectors who were important to the careers of aspiring young artists such as Dix.
A fellow member of the Gruppe 19 and a committed communist, he introduced Dix to his lithographic printers and records in his diary the background to this print. It would appear that he presented Mieze II, his first lithograph, to Felixmuller the day it was printed, and signed and dedicated it to his friend. Returning to the workshop shortly after Dix discovered that the printer had cleaned the stone, refusing in his words to print such "Schweinerei". The present impression is therefore unique, and has remained in the Felixmüller family ever since.