Die Hölle (Hell): Malepartus
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About this artwork
The name of this print is taken from a nightclub in Frankfurt-am-Main. However it does not seem as if any of the figures in this scene are particularly enjoying themselves. The rigid arms of the dancers make them look as if they are doing a military drill. This desperate seeking after pleasurable activities was one of the symptoms of the postwar collapse of the economy and government in Germany. The use of jagged diagonals make the scene look quite frenzied, while the dance floor seems to be collapsing into the centre, as if set on a sinking ship.
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title:Die Hölle (Hell): Malepartus
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accession number:GMA 2465 H
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materials:Lithograph
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date created:1919
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measurements:87.00 x 61.00 cm
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credit line:Purchased 1981
Max Beckmann
Max Beckmann
Beckmann was born in Leipzig. He studied in Weimar and Paris before settling in Berlin. At the outbreak of war he volunteered for the medical corps, but in 1915 suffered a nervous breakdown and was later discharged. After seeing the devastating effects of the war on the people of Germany…