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Lot Essay
Die Kunst gehört dem Volk is an important painting by Jörg Immendorff which prefigures what has now become the artist's most recognised series, his Café Deutschland pictures. This picture shows a group of figures in a bar, rendered in a stylised yet figurative manner that nonetheless has potent undercurrents of expressionism in some of the flights of painterly brushwork that articulate the backdrop. There is a deliberate contrast between the background and the treatment of the fleshtones of the various characters shown in the bar - one of whom, sitting with a newspaper emblazoned with a red star in its logo, appears to be Immendorff's own likeness. The various staff members and customers have been caught as though in a snapshot, each with an entertained look on their face, showing a warm humanity as they enjoy their drinks and conversation, doubtless discussing some of the political issues of the day, as indicated by the presence of the newspaper.
The presence of that newspaper, with its Communist imagery, cuts to
the heart of Die Kunst gehört dem Volk. This is a picture about dialogue, about the meeting of minds. At the same time, there is a socialistic ethos in both the title and the style in which the picture has been painted: like the landscape shown in the background, this is a highly legible work, a contrast with some of the more opaque performances and pictures that Immendorff had created earlier in his career. This reveals his shift towards an artistic language that avoided exclusion and that was therefore more suited to the political views that he so vigorously embraced. These had already established him as one of the leading political artists of his day by the time Die Kunst gehört dem Volk; this would become even more the case in the years immediately afterwards, when he embarked upon his celebrated Café Deutschland series, which often featured prominent historical figures associated with Communism as well as its imagery.
In Die Kunst gehört dem Volk, the title itself clearly prefigures that dialogue with the left wing. Immendorf has created an image of normal folk enjoying a drink in a bar, a communal atmosphere that celebrates the people to whom the art should belong. The only artwork within the scene is the river landscape shown hanging on the wall, and pertinently, it is there for public enjoyment, as the various clients who frequent this establishment will be able to enjoy seeing it. That notion of public art, and of art as a vehicle for societal improvement and change, lies at the heart of Immendorff's highly influential oeuvre. In a parallel to the function performed by that landscape, Die Kunst gehört dem Volk itself serves as an accessible image of fruitful and friendly dialogue, a paean to and crucially an invitation of camaraderie. With their faces turned towards the viewer except in the case of the artist, who is represented by the artwork itself, Die Kunst gehört dem Volk directly involves us in this discourse, placing us at the bar, offering us a glass of beer, enjoining us to take possession of art and politics alike.
The presence of that newspaper, with its Communist imagery, cuts to
the heart of Die Kunst gehört dem Volk. This is a picture about dialogue, about the meeting of minds. At the same time, there is a socialistic ethos in both the title and the style in which the picture has been painted: like the landscape shown in the background, this is a highly legible work, a contrast with some of the more opaque performances and pictures that Immendorff had created earlier in his career. This reveals his shift towards an artistic language that avoided exclusion and that was therefore more suited to the political views that he so vigorously embraced. These had already established him as one of the leading political artists of his day by the time Die Kunst gehört dem Volk; this would become even more the case in the years immediately afterwards, when he embarked upon his celebrated Café Deutschland series, which often featured prominent historical figures associated with Communism as well as its imagery.
In Die Kunst gehört dem Volk, the title itself clearly prefigures that dialogue with the left wing. Immendorf has created an image of normal folk enjoying a drink in a bar, a communal atmosphere that celebrates the people to whom the art should belong. The only artwork within the scene is the river landscape shown hanging on the wall, and pertinently, it is there for public enjoyment, as the various clients who frequent this establishment will be able to enjoy seeing it. That notion of public art, and of art as a vehicle for societal improvement and change, lies at the heart of Immendorff's highly influential oeuvre. In a parallel to the function performed by that landscape, Die Kunst gehört dem Volk itself serves as an accessible image of fruitful and friendly dialogue, a paean to and crucially an invitation of camaraderie. With their faces turned towards the viewer except in the case of the artist, who is represented by the artwork itself, Die Kunst gehört dem Volk directly involves us in this discourse, placing us at the bar, offering us a glass of beer, enjoining us to take possession of art and politics alike.