The Old Town of Düsseldorf in the Snow, 1941
Oil on canvas
(H x W)125,2 × 149,8 cm
About the workIn the middle of the Second World War, Will Tschech captured the idyllic snow-covered old town of Düsseldorf. There is no hint of the air raids that had been ravaging the city since 1940. This euphemistic, sentimental depiction of the homeland thus conformed perfectly to the Nazi leaders’ notions of art. In addition to these ostensibly harmless motifs, Tschech painted pictures that glorified the regime, which were featured in numerous exhibitions. The fact that two of his works were confiscated as “degenerate” in 1937 seems contradictory, but was by no means unusual.
AccessionAcquisition 1942
Provenance1942 angekauft auf der Frühjahrsausstellung, Kunsthalle Düsseldorf
Inventory number0.1942.4800
