German art's black years under Hitler

A heralded artist in the Weimar Republic who fought in the First World War, Dix and his images of wounded soldiers were not popular with the Nazi regime, which favored glorified images of heroism. Dix painted this work in secrecy, which was a good idea, according to curator Dieter Scholz. "In my eyes is a direct critique. I'm pretty sure the Nazis would have banned it."

An example of what the Nazis termed "degenerate" art this abstract painting was placed in the infamous degenerate art exhibition that opened in Munich in 1937. The regime confiscated 16,000 artworks from public institutions, including the collection of the Kronprinzenpalais, the National Gallery's outpost for works by living artists.

Artist Karl Hofer repainted this piece after the original was destroyed in an allied bombing in 1943. According to curator Dieter Scholz, "This painting is a statement against fascism." The original, painted in 1928, was titled "The Drummer," which may have alluded to Hitler drumming up support for his cause.

The Nazis confiscated this self-portrait by Karl Hofer and later sold it at auction along with hundreds of other artworks that were considered to have market value. It was purchased by an American collector and returned to the museum by his widow only last year. Upon learning of the painting's confiscation, Hofer resolutely repainted the portrait.

The painting gives rise to two possible interpretations. "Mein Kampf," Hitler's manifesto, sits in the window along with a cover featuring Mussolini. "Is the shop being painted because it has been taken over from a Jewish owner?" wonders curator Dieter Scholz. The second title, "House painter," was a derogatory term for Hitler used by Bertolt Brecht, but was added to the work after the war.

The communist-leaning artist Hans Uhlmann sketched a series of three-dimensional wire heads while imprisoned in Berlin for "planning high treason" after distributing leaflets in 1933. Once released, he realized these modern works in secret, risking his safety to do so. They are symbolic of his persecution under the Nazi regime.

The first exhibition under Nazi rule featured 16 contemporary Italian artworks that were traded for a nationalistic piece requested by Benito Mussolini. Hermann Göring gave the opening address at the museum for living artists, the Kronprinzenpalais, an annex of the National Gallery. "The Black Years" recreates the exhibition of Italian artists, mapping out the collection's history.