The Whore and the Madonna: The depiction of modern German women in “Degenerate” art and the art of the Third Reich

Kim McNamara
Trinity College Dublin
Department of History of Art and Architecture
2017
BA

Subject: Painting
Country: Germany
Period: 20th Century

10,000 words

The aim of this dissertation is to evaluate the representation of women in so-called “Degenerate Art” and the art of the Third Reich. In order to provide a comprehensive study of this topic, I have chosen to focus on prominent artists from this period. In relation to “degenerate” artists, I have selected those whose work exemplifies their respective movements, Die Brucke and Neue Sachlickkeit. With regards to the Third Reich art, I will discuss artists who were personal favourites of Adolf Hitler and those in his inner circle, such as Joseph Goebbels and Heinrich Himmler. The epoch in question was incredibly significant for women. The fin de siecle saw the affirmation of the feminist movement and women’s suffrage. The First World War further challenged the role of women enlisting them into factories to fill the vacancies left by men gone off to war.

Irish Georgian Society

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The Whore and the Madonna: The depiction of modern German women in “Degenerate” art and the art of the Third Reich