Nazi Degenerate Art Exhibition

The Nazi Degenerate Art Exhibition is a showcase of artworks that have been stolen and destroyed by Nazi’s at the time. These works of art were known to be “degenerate” according to Adolf Hitler; because it was far different than the classical artworks that had more meaning and made more sense rather than abstract modern art. Originally the art show was put on in order to shame the artists and expose the German’s to the unacceptable artwork. The Exhibition was presented to “demonstrate that modernist tendencies, such as abstraction, are the result of genetic inferiority and society’s moral decline” (moma.org). Hitler related abstract paintings to be the product of mental illness. “Entartere Kunst” had over a million people visit the exhibition.
He also was stripped of his membership from the Prussian Academy of Arts, Berlin. Many of his sculptures were either melted or smashed by the Nazi’s. This included his famous Dreiklang (Triad) sculpture displayed in Berlin (1929), was deemed to be “inescapably modern, it is a pioneering example of abstract sculpture, and was Belling’s first real success” (theguardian.com). This being completely against the art that Hitler accepted, it was confiscated and showcased in the Degenerate Art Exhibition. His other famous sculpture, Kopf in Messing, gave a very futuristic vibe and a sense of possible resemblance to robotic features. Also being far from Hitler’s ideologies. Belling, I feel was one of the more “lucky” artists at the time and was able to continue his works in other places of the world without being punished. Sadly many artists were named public enemies and famous artist Ernst Kirchner committed suicide due to this terrible