Alfred Flechtheim (1878-1937) was originally a Düsseldorf collector of Far Eastern art. After he turned dealer in 1913, and by the time Dix had met him, Flechtheim had gained a reputation as an avowed Francophile with a marked preference for Cubism. He was (inaccurately) supposed to have turned his back on Expressionism and German work in general.
Otto Dix neither liked nor trusted Alfred Flechtheim, as is clearly evident in this uncommissioned portrait. Here surrounded by Cubist works, grasping a French painting in one hand and what must be bills of sale in the other, Flechtheim's small eyes seem heavy-lidded with greed. Dix appears to be telling us that, as he sees it, the other side of this particular International art dealer coin is a nothing more than a salesman in a cheap suit, hawking merchandise.
About the show:
The years of the Weimar Republic in Germany were short, sad and, particularly in Berlin, spectacular. A contingent of German visual artists moved on from Dada to Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity), from which a leftist sub-branch now known as Verism arose.
The Verist works on view in this exhibition were painted during a society's death spiral. Prostitutes, war cripples, transvestites, wealthy industrialists, doctors, lawyers and, yes, often the Verist artists themselves, are captured here in a now-lost era. Less 'enjoyable' than many themed exhibitions, Glitter and Doom... is superlative at compelling the viewer to look and think.
"Glitter and Doom: German Portraits from the 1920s" is on view from November 14, 2006 – February 19, 2007 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, New York, NY 10028-0198. (Telephone: 212-535-7710; Website). The museum is open Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, Friday and Saturday from 9:30 AM to 9:00 PM. Suggested admission is $20.00 for adults, $15.00 for seniors and $10.00 for students. Paid parking is available in the Museum Garage.