Josef Thorak (1889-1952) was an Austrian born sculptor who, along with Arno Breker, was one of the two preferred statuary artists of the Third Reich. Hitler and his architect (also armaments minister) Albert Speer personally approved the use of Thorak's work at government facilities and public places. Thorak apparently never joined the Nazi party, but he happily produced art for them, specializing in heroic statues of muscular nude men and horses. He was jokingly called "Professor Thorax" because of his focus on the male torso. Although cleared by a denazification court, much of his work was melted down in 1949, and he never regained his former place in German art.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I have no use for anybody even remotely connected to that evil regime.
People make choices in life and all choices have consequences !
Special art facilities were built for both artist by the regime under Speer's
direction, and both were rewarded handsomely !
It must be noted that other German artist (i.e. Kollwitz, Klee, Grosz, Dix, Ernst, Kirchner, Baumeister) were persecuted in various ways (i.e. limited or no artistic expression at all, no gallery or museum shows, coerced into denouncing other artist, harassed, detained, interrogated, imprisoned, sent into internal and external exile, sent to death camps, murdered, executed, etc.)
Museums, galleries and institutions shut down or coerced into "Aryanization".
(i.e. Folkwang Museums, The Bauhaus Academies, private art collections).
A true artist stands for human dignity, not a regime born of human evil.
-Rj in the IE