Neue Sachlichkeit

The New Objectivity (in German: Neue Sachlichkeit) was a movement in German art that arose during the 1920s as a reaction against expressionism.

Neue Sachlichkeit was a term coined in 1923 by Gustav Hartlaub, director of the Kunsthalle, Mannheim, as the title of an exhibition he organised to demonstrate the progress of post-war painting in Germany. Instead of being abstract, such art was figurative and was marked by a world-weary cynicism without the idealistic expectations of many pre-war movements. Otto Dix and Georg Grosz were its most prominent exponents. In the 1930s, Neue Sachlichkeit was denigrated and swept away by the ideologically inspired art of National Socialism.

Source

Clarke, M. (2010). The concise dictionary of art terms. Oxford University Press.

More on the History of Design

  • Neon Lighting – Dictionary – Design Term

    Neon Lighting – Dictionary – Design Term

    Neon Lighting. Semiflexible, hollow tubes of clear acrylic with small bulbs inside that can be connected to light up all at once or sequentially to produce a “chasing” effect. It’s also known as disco lighting, and it’s given homeowners new illumination alternatives. Lights designers consider neon lighting to be an art form.Read More →

  • Mona Lisa Clock – Antique of the Future

    Mona Lisa Clock – Antique of the Future

    Mona Lisa Clock – Antique of the Future which features a close-up photo of the famous face.Read More →

  • Paris: May 1968 Posters of the Student Revolt

    Paris: May 1968 Posters of the Student Revolt

    In the turbulent days of May 1968 in Paris, a group of artists calling themselves the Atelier Populaire created posters that were vital in spreading the call to unite student and workers.  The propaganda of the French revolt was fed by immediate pressures.  The day by day events – the disruption of classes at Nanterre…

  • A Quaich: An Early Form of the Loving Cup

    A Quaich: An Early Form of the Loving Cup

    The quaich or quaigh is a type of Scottish drinking vessel. It is shallow and uncovered, similar to a porringer.Read More →

  • “International Style” Architecture of the Modern Movement

    “International Style” Architecture of the Modern Movement

    Alfred H. Barr Jr. coined the term in 1931 in conjunction with Philip Johnson and Henry-Russell Hitchcock’s 1932 “Modern Architecture: International Exhibition” (along with the accompanying book International Style: Architecture Since 1922) at the New York Museum of Modern Art, where Barr was director.Read More →

  • Jugendstil: An Exploration of an Artistic Style

    Jugendstil: An Exploration of an Artistic Style

    Jugendstil, an artistic style that originated around the mid-1890s in Germany and persisted throughout the first decade of the 20th century. READ MORRead More →

  • Mission Furniture – Design Dictionary Term

    Mission Furniture – Design Dictionary Term

    The term mission furniture was first popularized by Joseph P. McHugh of New York, a furniture manufacturer and retailer. The word mission references the Spanish missions throughout colonial California. The style became increasingly popular following the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo.Read More →

  • Taylorism Search for Industrial Efficiency or Robotism?

    Taylorism Search for Industrial Efficiency or Robotism?

    His 1911 book Principles of Scientific Management outlined these concepts, and they have influenced various aspects of design, including labour-saving kitchens and more ergonomic household equipment. These included the writings of fellow American Christine Frederick, who published Scientific Management in the Home in 1915, and Lillian Gilbreth’s assessments of domestic efficiency for the Brooklyn Gas…

  • Dada Art Movement – Making Mischief

    Dada Art Movement – Making Mischief

    As a designer, I am passionate about the history of art and their influence on ‘visual design.’  In art history, Dada is the artistic movement that preceded Surrealism, it began in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1916 by a group of mostly painters and painters.  Dada artworks challenged the preconceived notions of what art meant.  Many Dadaists felt…

  • Fashion Design from 1900 to 1920 – Focus on Freedom

    Fashion Design from 1900 to 1920 – Focus on Freedom

    Fashion Design from 1900 to 1920 – Focus on Freedom. Newfound political independence came newfound fashion freedom. READ MORERead More →

  • Cassone – the marriage chest

    Cassone – the marriage chest

    A cassone is a big decorated chest that was made in Italy between the 14th and 16th centuries. In 1472, a Florentine merchant married a young noblewoman named Vaggia Nerli. Cassoni were put on display in the most important and well-furnished room in the palace.Read More →

  • Anchor Blocks – 19th Century construction toy

    Anchor Blocks – 19th Century construction toy

    Anchor Blocks were a German system of building blocks that were popular as a children’s construction toy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, notably in Europe. Dr F. Ad. Richter in Rudolstadt, Germany, began developing and manufacturing the system in 1879. The concept was based on the FROEBEL block system, which significantly impacted…

  • Ideal Home Exhibition (est. 1908) Aspirational British Design

    Ideal Home Exhibition (est. 1908) Aspirational British Design

    The Daily Mail newspaper sponsored the Ideal Home Exhibition (from 1908). These shows provide an insight into popular taste and aspiration across all facets of domestic design and organisation in Britain.Read More →

  • Design History – 40s & 50s the age of the Graphic Designer

    Design History – 40s & 50s the age of the Graphic Designer

    The 1940s and 1950s the age of the Graphic Designer. Designers, illustrators, and artists used their talents to disseminate information.Read More →

  • Japan Advertising Artists Club pioneer of Japanese Graphic Design

    Japan Advertising Artists Club pioneer of Japanese Graphic Design

    In the 1960s, the JAAC’s philosophy came under fire for being overly reliant on exhibitions as a platform for innovative ideas. Furthermore, during the turbulent 1960s, a perceived emphasis on aesthetics at the expense of social significance, combined with allegations of elitism, led to the organisation’s disbandment in 1970.Read More →

  • The Chevron pattern – a Popular motif for Designers

    The Chevron pattern – a Popular motif for Designers

    The word chevron comes from the French word chevron, which means rafter or gable. Although there is no definition to prevent freedom in its shape, the chevron’s angle is most commonly between 60 and 70 degrees. Read More →

  • Honiton Lace the beauty of complex patterns

    Honiton Lace the beauty of complex patterns

    Honiton lace is a type of bobbin lace made in Honiton, Devon, in the United Kingdom. Its ornate motifs and complex patterns are created separately, before being sewn into a net ground. Common motifs include daisies, roses, shamrocks, ivy leaves, lilies, camellias, convolvulus, poppies, briony, antwerp diamonds, trefoils, ferns, and acorns.Read More →

  • Design in Scandinavia travelling exhibition, 1954 – 1957

    Design in Scandinavia travelling exhibition, 1954 – 1957

    Brilliant examples of contemporary home furnishings were shown from Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden and exposed Americans to Scandinavian design, inspiring a shift towards mid-century design.Read More →

  • Jaeger 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 clothes are not just fashion but function & lifestyle

    Jaeger  🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 clothes are not just fashion but function & lifestyle

    During the twentieth century, a movement arose that advocated for clothing to be worn as part of a sensible, healthy lifestyle rather than only for fashion. These concepts sprang from the work of nineteenth-century fashion reformers, in the same way, that English writer Edward Carpenter popularised the open-toed leather sandal for men. Read More →

  • Post-Impressionism – a concise guide

    Post-Impressionism – a concise guide

    Post-Impressionism (sometimes called Postimpressionism) was a significant French art trend that evolved between 1886 and 1905. Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, and Georges Seurat led the movement. Post-Impressionism was a reaction to Impressionism’s naturalistic light and colour. Post-Impressionism covers the work of Les Nabis, Neo-Impressionism, Symbolism, Cloisonnism, the Pont-Aven School, and Synthetism.Read More…

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.