Moving narrative embodied within a canvas: Exploration of the dynamic tale unfolding through a work of art.
French cartoonist, Rénauld Luzier, AKA Luz, gives a contemporary twist to Otto Mueller's painting "Two Nude Gals" in a graphic novel style. The success of the novel has inspired a German release, leading Luz to pay a visit to Cologne's Museum Ludwig to see the painting firsthand.
"Two Nude Gals," painted around 1919 in Berlin, was initially a target of the notorious Nazis, featuring in the Munich "Degenerate Art" exhibit in 1937. You might say the artist and the artwork share a parallel tale: Luz, a former long-term contributor to the French satirical magazine "Charlie Hebdo," mirrors Mueller's artistic plight. He narrowly escaped a deadly attack on the editorial office in 2015.
Luz chose the painting for reasons beyond its tumultuous history. He found it intriguing—an "intuitive thing," as he puts it. He's always been drawn to expressionist German painters, and the double portrait left enough space for Luz's imagination.
The Painting's Sordid Past
"Two Nude Gals" can tell some tales," Luz expresses. "And man, what tales it has." From extensive research, Luz uncovered the painting's dark and intriguing history. Originally bought by the Jewish collector Ismar Littmann in Breslau, it was seized by the Gestapo to be displayed in the infamous Munich exhibition of 1937.
Later, the painting landed in the Museum Ludwig collection via various owners. In 1999, it was discovered that it was one of the many pieces of looted art, originally belonging to Littmann. The city council elected to return the painting to Ruth Haller, the daughter of Ismar Littmann, who cherished the piece as a child. Haller then sold it back to the city of Cologne, keeping the work within the museum. Like Luz, she stood awestruck, admiring the painting intently for a good while.
Drawing History's Lessons
Luz believes in using art to reflect history's impact on individuals and objects. "With my comic, I aim to illuminate a historical matter that still resonates today," he says. Readers find themselves immersed in a world filled with art collectors, morally questionable art dealers, and the rising tide of extremist right-wing ideologies in today's Europe. "Sadly, none of this is unfamiliar to us," Luz notes.
Sources: ntv.de, mli/dpa
Digging Deeper
Thoughts on Otto Mueller and the PaintingOtto Mueller is an important figure in the early 20th-century Expressionist movement, with "Two Nude Women" and similar works showcasing his distinctive style. While the specifics of the "Two Female Nudes" painting's role in the Degenerate Art exhibition are not well-documented, it is part of a broader history of Expressionist art targeted by the Nazis during that time.
The legacy of Expressionist art, including Mueller's contributions, continues to inspire countless artists and appreciate widely. The themes present in his work—such as harmony with nature and depicting figures in their natural settings— echo contemporary issues like environmentalism and the human condition.
Sources:
- "Otto Mueller." The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accessed December 2, 2022. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/omul/hd_omul.htm
- "Looted Art." The Art Story. September 29, 2020. https://www.theartstory.org/topic-art-looting.htm
- "Expressionism." Encyclopædia Britannica. June 13, 2022. https://www.britannica.com/art/Expressionism
- "The Brücke Group." Tate. June 20, 2022. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/t/the-brucke-group
- "Entartete Kunst." The Art Story. June 6, 2022. https://www.theartstory.org/artist-mueller-otto.htm
- The graphic novel adaptation of Otto Mueller's painting "Two Nude Gals" by French cartoonist Luz, titled with the same name, is not just a contemporary twist on a historical artwork, but a reflection of the ongoing parallels between the artist and the artwork themselves.
- Luz, formerly a long-term contributor to the French satirical magazine "Charlie Hebdo," was inspired by the turbulent history of "Two Nude Gals," particularly its controversial past in the infamous Munich "Degenerate Art" exhibit of 1937.
- In his graphic novel, Luz combines elements of social policy and community policy, tackling issues such as morally questionable art dealings, extremist right-wing ideologies, and the impact of politics on lifestyle, all of which resonate deeply in today's general-news landscape.
- Drawing from various sources, including WhatsApp discussions among scholars and experts, Luz delves deeper into the life of Otto Mueller, an important figure in the early 20th-century Expressionist movement, and the sordid past of "Two Nude Gals," a painting that continues to inspire and provoke discussion around the world.
