Review of: “From Berlin to Broadway” - The Ebb Bequest of Modern German and Austrian Drawings at the Morgan Library
On view at the Morgan Library through September 20th are 43 works by 22 artists active in Germany and Austrian from 1910-1930. The drawings and watercolors are the bequest to the museum of Broadway lyricist Fred Ebb, noted for his collaborations with composer John Kander. And it is with a viewing of this exhibition that a review might begin - only the show is really the end of the story.
George Grosz (1893-1959)
Barberina, 1925
Watercolor on wove paper
25-1/2 x 37-1/4 "(647 x 948 mm)
The Pierpont Morgan Library, Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.131
Photography by Joseph Zehavi 2006
(c) estate of Geroge Grosz licensed by VAGA, NY, NY
At the outset of preparations for their creation of the musical “Cabaret,” while Kander was exploring German music of that period, Ebb viewed a great deal of German expressionist art. In fact, during meetings with director Harold Prince, Kander and Ebb viewed the works of George Grosz and Otto Dix. Following the success of the production, with the help of a friend, art collector Joan Fisher, Ebb began to collect the genre of art he had studied.
Emil Nolde (1897–1956)
Conferencier, ca. 1910–11
Brush with ink and watercolor on Japan paper
11 1/2 x 5 7/8 inches (292 x 150 mm)
The Pierpont Morgan Library, Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.151
Photography by Joseph Zehavi 2006
Anyone who has seen the film or play will have a sense of déjà vu in the presence of these works, the visual tableaux and aura of building menace are everywhere. As in time, the society in which they lives slouched toward Fascism and brutality, the artists held a cold, clear light to the nature of these current events. Jeanne Mammen, a German watercolor artist who became famous as an illustrator in the 1920’s, chose to forsake her career after 1933, when all work available to her reflected the values and aesthetics of the Nazi regime. She instead focused on fine art, and adopted a style of cubism influenced by Picasso, which was despised by the Third Reich.
Max Beckmann (1884-1950)
Nightclub in New York, 1947
Pen and Ink and Watercolor on laid paper
10-1/4 x 14-3/8 " (260 x 363 mm)
The Pierpont Morgan Library, Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.122
Photography by Joseph Zehavi 2006
(c) 2006 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
When we view this collection, we partake of the artists’ legacies as well as that of Mr. Ebb - his work reflected their vision, and his bequest presents the works that inspired him almost a century after they were created. The substantial and exemplary catalog that accompanies this exhibition features not only all the works and the history of the collection, but an essay about each and every artist as well. “From Berlin to Broadway” present us with a rare opportunity to view an amazing collection of works rarely seen before, appreciate their historical context, and understand the impact it had on our culture later in the 20th Century. Definitely something to think about the next time someone says that art is not important.
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