breker in spiegel

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Art Gallery | Spiritual Corner

To the Editor

DER SPIEGEL

20457 Hamburg

Germany

October 21, 1999

Gentlemen,

Recently, (the September 27, 1999 issue) you had an impressive front cover photo with the sculpture Herald/The Seer by Arno Breker. That gives us the opportunity to ask, why such a critical and leading European magazine as DER SPIEGEL does not finally take note of the change in the attitude of people also in Germany. And naturally, one should not ask only the enshrined art experts, but the ordinary people and collectors.

DER SPIEGEL could start the attempt to view the classical sculptor Breker in a more objective manner, since it is now 10 years since his death. In the year 2000 we will mark the 100th birthday anniversary of this man, about whom exist no compromising materials even in the secret archives of East and West.

And it is against any logic that for instance Ernst Barlach and the great Käthe Kollwitz, both labelled as "degenerate artists" in the NS days, should now receive the praise of the media, but Arno Breker, then a much admired realist, should since 1945 be so falsely appraised and portrayed by the self-righteous art-history hierarchy. Even the politicians who collect his works are silent, due to fear of attacks.

We see this also here in USA, that people's longing for the beautiful in the art keeps growing stronger and stronger. The success of historical exhibitions is enormous.

Yet realismus and abstraction in the art are not mutually exclusive. However, the classical tradition is a good foundation also for the modern art of our time. Without doubt, people desire both.

Sincerely,

B. John Zavrel

Director