Otto Dix (1891-1969)

Otto Dix (1891–1969) was a German painter and printmaker who stands as a towering figure of the Neue Sachlichkeit (“New Objectivity”) movement. Having served as a machine gunner on the front lines of World War I, Dix was profoundly traumatized by the experience, which informed his brutally realistic and often satirical art. His most famous works, including his monumental war triptychs and unflinching portraits of the Weimar Republic’s decadent society, expose the harsh realities of postwar life, from war-damaged veterans to prostitutes and the bourgeoisie. His work was considered “degenerate” by the Nazis, who removed him from his teaching post and publicly destroyed many of his paintings. Today, his uncompromising vision and powerful social critique are celebrated in museums worldwide, cementing his legacy as one of the most important German artists of the 20th century.