War is something that has always had a significant impact in the world of art. For Anslem Kiefer, World War II in Germany would become a central theme that he would tackle in his artwork for the entirety of his career. Born in Donaueschingen, Germany in 1945, Kiefer grew up in the aftermath of World War II. He was greatly impacted by the experience of his parents, as they witnessed the reign of Adolf Hitler over Nazi Germany. This was a time of political unrest in Germany and around the world, and it would have major implications during the post-war era, influencing Germany’s overall culture and identity.
Kiefer explores post-war Germany through his artwork, starting at the beginning of the 1970’s. He focuses his work specifically on German history and myth, particularly as it relates to Nazi Germany. In the post-war era, Germany convinced people that the events of the war and the Holocaust were valid, and they encouraged nationalism and a positive image of German identity and culture. In his work, Kiefer aimed to show his disdain for what happened, particularly with the Holocaust, even though at the time, it was very taboo to portray the reign of Nazi Germany in a negative light.
As an artist, it can be challenging to stay consistent with a single theme over the entirety of one’s career, but Kiefer succeeds at this challenge. What’s more interesting is that, although watercolor and photography were important platforms for him, how Kiefer went about creating art with these foundations varied, as Kiefer began to experiment more with medium. This curation exemplifies Kiefer’s ability as a prominent post-war German artist to stay consistent with theme over a significant period of time while simultaneously experimenting with new mediums and showing this theme in these new mediums.
Anslem Kiefer, Winter Landscape, 1970, watercolor, gouache, and graphite, 1995.14.5
Winter Landscape was among some of the first works that showcased Kiefer’s theme of Nazi Germany. Kiefer uses watercolor, gouche, and graphite to create a barren landscape scene. Typically, beautiful landscapes represented the Nazi regime and German nationalism, but the fact that this landscape is barren and snow-covered shows Kiefer’s uncharacteristic view of Germany early on in his career. He uses the watercolor very intentionally, creating red droplets coming from the women’s neck that represent the blood from World War II that now stain human history.
Anselm Kiefer, Stephan!,1974, watercolor, gouache, colored pencil, and ballpoint pen on paper, 1995.14.9
This piece exemplifies similar pictorial qualities seen in Winter Landscape. Even the use of watercolor is reminiscent of the Winter Landscape, creating a washed-out effect, which, again, shows how Kiefer disagrees with the values of Nazi Germany. However, in this work, Kiefer experiments with colored pencil and ballpoint pen, heightening the effects of the watercolor. It adds a richer, smoother color tone, and it allows for a more contrast and detail in the face. The face is of Stephan George, a man who embraced Nazi nationalism, which contributes to his overall theme of the complexities of Germany’s past.
Anselm Kiefer, The Vistula, 1977-78, Acrylic, graphite, and shellac on paper, 1995.14.23
Kiefer shows Germany’s destructive impact around Europe in this piece, as the Vistula is the river Germany used to invade Poland, starting World War II. In this painting, Kiefer continues to blend the image of humanity into the landscape, but he chooses a new medium to do so, continuing his trend of experimentation as his career progressed. Focusing contrast and value through the use of acrylic paint and graphite, casting a gloomier view of the situation. Further, this medium allows him to create starker, bolder brush strokes, an unattainable effect with watercolor, emphasizing the reality of the pain Germany caused.
Anslem Kiefer, Big Iron Fist, Germany, 1980-81, Gouache and acrylic on photograph, 1995.14.37
Big Iron Fist, Germany is a recycled self-portrait that conveys Kiefer’s anguish toward Germany. At this point in Kiefer’s career, he experiments more with photography as the foundation of his work, working to layer different mediums on top to enhance his overall message. Through the thickness of the acrylic brushstrokes and the black and white, viewers can visually see Kiefer’s anger, a bold move for Kiefer. Even though this is a slightly different medium than The Vistual, the style is still reminiscent, as we see Kiefer progression from watercolor to acrylic.
Anslem Kiefer, Strike, 1985, Lead, shellac, synthetic adhesive and graphite on photograph, mounted on canvas, 1995.14.39
Strike is a monumental piece for Kiefer because it combines the mediums of lead and photography. He used a photograph that was intentionally overexposed and then aligned it with a lead cloud to create the blurry, streaky effects. This piece continues the concepts of black and white and landscape, resulting in the viewer’s subconsciously connected this piece to other pieces like The Vistula. Kiefer carries on the Nazi Germany theme, especially with the way the piece seems to be ripping apart, even though this is a completely different than the watercolor he was originally using.
Anslem Kiefer, Untiled (The Rhine), 1993, Woodcuts on cut and pasted papers, mounted on canvas, 1995.14.44
Untitled (The Rhine) is a woodcut that showcases Hitler’s Soldier’s Hall, but places on the Rhine river, instead of its real location in central Berlin. This location choice contributes to the underlying Germany tones of the woodcut, opposing the actions of the Nazi Regime even more. The medium itself actually connects the work to Germany history. Again, landscapes are supposed to represent the power of Nazi Germany, and Kiefer uses the physical landscape to actually create a piece of artwork displaying his disdain for the country, which is consistent with his other works that use mediums that solely display landscapes.
Anslem Kiefer, Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom, 2000, Gouache, sand, ash and charcoal on two torn and pasted photographs, 2001.557
Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom uniquely combines sand, ash, charcoal, and photographs to actually portray communist China with the same disdain Kiefer had toward Nazi Germany. This experimentation of mediums creates the brick looking texture, adds a natural color scheme, and enhances the photograph layer. All of the layers bring their own meanings that contribute to the overall theme, but the photographs especially have an effect. The photographs are from Kiefer’s visit to China. It is supposed to reference Mao Zedong, but the image inherently references Hitler, placing Communist China on the same level of evil as Nazi Germany.
Anslem Kiefer, Morgenthau Plan, 2012, Acrylic, emulsion, oil, and shellac on inkjet prints mounted on canvas, 2013.429a–c 2013.429a–c
This is a very recent piece by Kiefer, yet it still exhibits the theme of Nazi Germany seen in majority of his prior pieces. He again uses nature as a means of expressing history, explicitly referencing to the plan tochange Germany into a giant farmland during World War II. The combinations of these mediums specifically exude an ominous feeling and deliberately makes the landscape look streaked and unclear, while still appearing to be in full bloom. This contrasting idea hints at the darkness blooming in Germany and in the hearts of those fighting the Nazi around the world.
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