Rudolf Schlichter

As a socio-critical and politically active artist, Schlichter became a member of the communist artists group ASSO, drawing satirical caricatures for left-wing magazines such as “Der Knüppel” and “Eulenspiegel”. He gradually turned to the veristic painting style of the New Objectivity, following George Grosz but displaying a toned-downed version of Grosz’s biting poignancy. In his paintings, Schlichter captures the life of the urban demimonde. He also created many perceptive portraits of friends and contemporaries, including Berthold Brecht and further illustrations focusing on class struggle or erotic themes. During the Nazi regime, Schlichter’s work was defamed as “degenerate”. In his later work, he began to assume a surrealistic style.