Florence 1933: The Birth of Nazi Art?
In 1933 the “Mostra d’Arte Germanica” (Exhibition of German Art) opened in Florence–one of the first presentations of Nazi artists to an international audience. Who were these artists? My paper examines this question from two perspectives. Firstly, the “Mostra” reveals the influence of fascist Italy in the nascent corporatist reorganization of German artists, a means to harness their support for Nazism. Secondly, the “Mostra” included a plurality of aesthetics and many non-Nazi artists, but most of them eventually exhibited in the Großen Deutschen Kunstausstellungen between 1937 and 1944. My paper unpacks how the “Mostra” fits within or challenges current narratives around “Nazi art”.
Registration
This event is free, but all participants must register in advance. Space is limited, so please do not request a paper unless you plan to attend.
About the German Studies Seminar Series
The Newberry Library German Studies Seminar series provides a forum for scholarship-in-progress in the area of German studies. The seminar is particularly interested in papers that cross disciplinary boundaries and that reconceptualize the materials and conventions of German Studies as a field, including beyond the frames of the German language and nation state. Like all Newberry Scholarly Seminars, meetings are conversational and free and open to faculty, graduate students, and members of the public, who register in advance to request papers.