Neue Sachlichkeit / New Objectivity

In February 2025, Neue Galerie New York will open “Neue Sachlichkeit / New Objectivity,” marking the centenary of Gustav F. Hartlaub’s 1925 groundbreaking survey held at the Kunsthalle Mannheim. The New Objectivity movement is now considered one of the most significant artistic developments of the twentieth century. Hartlaub’s presentation showcased a new style of art that had emerged in the aftermath of World War I, characterized by its critical realism, social commentary, and detailed depiction of contemporary life, and marking a significant departure from Expressionism’s emotional intensity.

The Neue Sachlichkeit movement was divided by two philosophies—the unflinching and socially critical Verists (represented by Otto Dix, George Grosz, Georg Scholz, for example), and the Classicists (such as Alexander Kanoldt, Georg Schrimpf, and Christian Schad), who focused on harmony and beauty. The show will offer a wide-ranging perspective, exploring the tension between the Verists and the Classicists, which will be illustrated through a multidisciplinary installation, featuring paintings, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, works on paper, and film. The artists represented include Max Beckmann, Marianne Brandt, Marcel Breuer, Otto Dix, Carl Grossberg, George Grosz, Karl Hubbuch, August Sander, Christian Schad, Oskar Schlemmer, Georg Scholz, and Rudolf Wacker, among others. The presentation interprets these two camps as a coherent chapter in art history, focusing on the ways that the New Objectivity proponents mirrored the Weimar Republic’s cultural, political, and social complexities.

“Neue Sachlichkeit / New Objectivity” is organized by Neue Galerie New York. This exhibition is curated by Dr. Olaf Peters, a professor of modern art at Martin Luther University in Halle-Wittenberg, Germany. At the Neue Galerie, Dr. Peters has previously organized “Max Beckmann: The Formative Years, 1915-1925,” “Otto Dix,” “Degenerate Art: The Attack on Modern Art in Nazi Germany, 1937,” “Berlin Metropolis: 1918-1933,” and “Before the Fall: German and Austrian Art of the 1930s.”

The exhibition is made possible in part by the Neue Galerie President’s Circle.

LEARN MORE

Exhibition Catalogue Coming Soon
A fully illustrated catalogue, published by Neue Galerie New York and Prestel, accompanies the exhibition. 

Audio Guide Coming Soon
Hear curatorial insights on key works in the exhibition.